Steelers’ Mike McCarthy plans a two-quarterback look with Will Howard and Drew Allar vs. Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers will split quarterback work in their preseason game against the New York Jets on Friday night at Acrisure Stadium, with Will Howard set to start and Drew Allar expected to receive playing time immediately after the first segment of the opening period. Coach Mike McCarthy’s approach for the night is straightforward, he is using the preseason to observe his young quarterbacks under game conditions rather than asking one player to carry an extended workload early.

Howard will be the first quarterback to run the offense in Pittsburgh’s preseason look, a decision that places him in the lead role for the first snaps of the game. The Steelers’ decision to pair that starter’s reps with Allar’s playing time reflects a common preseason philosophy, creating a comparative sample that can be evaluated by the coaching staff across reads, decision-making, ball security, and overall command of the tempo.

McCarthy’s comments underscore that this game is intended to be more than a routine dress rehearsal. The plan described by the team frames Friday night as an opportunity for the staff to see “what his young quarterbacks are capable of,” which matters because the quarterback position is the offense’s control point. Early preseason reps can highlight how efficiently a quarterback processes coverage, how comfortably he handles pressure, and how quickly he adjusts protections and routes when the live look differs from practice work.

For the Jets, the opponent will bring their own defensive priorities and game-plan wrinkles that can pressure quarterbacks in different ways than what a player typically sees in a controlled practice setting. When a team chooses to give two quarterbacks meaningful time instead of sticking with one longer starter, it often indicates that the staff wants to measure both players against the same level of live adversity within a limited window.

The Steelers’ home setting at Acrisure Stadium adds another layer to the evaluation. Playing in front of a home crowd can affect cadence and communication, and it offers a chance to see how the quarterbacks handle the rhythm of an actual game week, including the first-drive stakes that can arise in preseason matchups. Both Howard and Allar will have to show, in different stretches, that they can run the offense cleanly even as rotations, personnel groupings, and situational play-calling evolve.

Preseason quarterback evaluations are rarely about single drives in isolation, because each quarterback may operate with different personnel groups and game situations. What the Steelers are watching for is consistency across reps, the ability to protect the football, and the capacity to convert when the play design demands accuracy rather than improvisation. How each quarterback responds to both favorable and challenging looks can influence how the coaching staff structures the next stages of the preseason.

What to watch next is the way Pittsburgh handles the balance after the initial starter window. If the team continues to rotate with structure, it may suggest McCarthy is building a clear comparative baseline between Howard and Allar. If one quarterback establishes a clear advantage in execution, it could alter how much time the other receives later in the preseason, but for now the plan is designed to keep both players in the evaluation picture.