Pittsburgh Steelers QB battle: Is there an argument to keep all four?

The Steelers have three quarterbacks that have seen significant time in the preseason, but is there room on the roster for all of them?

Ben Roethlisberger is obviously the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but behind him, there are a lot of questions. Josh Dobbs, Mason Rudolph, and Devlin Hodges have all had a chance this August to earn a spot on the depth chart.

Dobbs and Rudolph have been vying for the backup quarterback job, while Hodges has been a surprise this preseason. The question now that roster cuts loom, is where do they all fit in? Here is what the Steelers have seen to help the staff make some decisions.

Josh Dobbs

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Entering his third season out of Tennessee, Dobbs is looking to maintain his position as the Steelers’ backup quarterback. His 2018 campaign included limited action, throwing only 12 passes and completing half of them. He finished with 43 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 69.6.

In this preseason, Dobbs had completed 15/28 passes for 259 yards, no touchdowns, and two interceptions, with a passer rating of 55.5 going into the fourth preseason game. In need of a good showing, Dobbs went 3/5 for 21 yards. His passer rating was 69.6.

Josh Dobbs has not been bad, but his drives have not lead to many points, and each performance has felt as though it was missing something.

Mason Rudolph

Going into his second year with the Steelers out of Oklahoma State, Rudolph, like Dobbs, is attempting to claim the backup quarterback position on the depth chart. As the number three option in 2018, Rudolph did not see any game action, but he has played significant snaps this August.

In parts of three games, Rudolph has completed 21/32 passes for 243 yards, three touchdowns, one interception, and a passer rating of 106.6. In game four he was impressive again, going 7/11 for 125 yards, one touchdown, and a passer rating of 132.8.

Statistically, Rudolph has outperformed Dobbs all preseason, and in a game where both needed to make a good impression, Rudolph stepped up.

Devlin Hodges

Not much was expected from the rookie out of Samford, but Hodges has played in three of the four preseason games. No, he will not compete for the backup spot, but he has done enough to be considered for the 53-man roster.

In his first NFL preseason, Devlin Hodges went 10/18 for 117 yards, two touchdowns, no interceptions, and his rating was 112.5 through the third preseason game. In game four, Hodges struggled, going 10/20 for 73 yards, one interception, and a rating of 38.1.

Hodges did not look as comfortable or impressive in Carolina, but the fact still remains he exceeded expectations. Like Dobbs, his final performance did not leave the impression he would have hoped.

Only 53 players will still be on the roster after August 31, and there may not be room for four quarterbacks. However, with Rudolph, in my opinion, claiming the backup quarterback job, I have serious doubts about whether or not keeping Dobbs and cutting Hodges is the right move.

It seems unlikely that Pittsburgh will keep all of these quarterbacks, but with a promising rookie and a struggling third-year man, things certainly become more interesting.

The Steelers could do a variety of things, but given the performances at the quarterback position this summer, the discussion about keeping four quarterbacks is one worth having.

What will the Steelers quarterback depth chart look like this season? Leave your comments below!