Key facts
- Jaylen Warren is listed as the No. 1 running back, with free-agent signee Rico Dowdle at No. 2 on Pittsburgh’s initial depth chart
- Dowdle signed a two-year contract with the Steelers this offseason; Warren is entering his fifth season with the team
- Mason Rudolph is listed as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Will Howard, behind starter Aaron Rodgers
- Third-round rookie Drew Allar is listed fourth at quarterback and is considered likely to make the roster
- Depth chart order could shift before the regular season, and the Steelers are expected to use a running back rotation regardless of the listing
The Pittsburgh Steelers released their first depth chart of the 2025 season, and it places Jaylen Warren as the starting running back with offseason free-agent addition Rico Dowdle listed as the No. 2 back. At quarterback, Mason Rudolph is listed ahead of Will Howard for the backup job behind starter Aaron Rodgers, with third-round rookie Drew Allar listed fourth.
The running back listing
Some had expected the Steelers to list Warren and Dowdle together as co-starters given the uncertainty in the backfield, but the team instead gave the top spot outright to Warren, who is entering his fifth season with Pittsburgh. Dowdle signed a two-year contract with the Steelers this offseason as a free agent and is listed behind Warren at No. 2.
Both outlets covering the release note that the depth chart order may not carry much practical weight once the regular season starts, since the Steelers are expected to use both backs in some form of a rotation regardless of who is technically listed first.
The quarterback room behind Rodgers
Rudolph is listed as the No. 2 quarterback ahead of Howard for the backup role behind Aaron Rodgers. Allar, Pittsburgh’s third-round draft pick, sits fourth on the depth chart. Given his draft status, Allar is considered likely to make the regular-season roster, which raises the possibility that whichever of Rudolph or Howard does not win the true backup job could be at risk of being let go by the team.
What it means going forward
This is the first depth chart the Steelers have issued this season, and such early listings are frequently subject to change as roster cuts and further practice and preseason performances shape the final depth chart before the regular season begins. Both the running back and backup quarterback situations remain spots to watch as Pittsburgh finalizes its roster.
Sources
Featured photo: DaRealConMan via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)