With the Steelers placing QB Skylar Thompson on the Reserve/Injured list and signing Logan Woodside to their practice squad, they have a decision to make about their QB3 plans. Woodside is experienced in OC Arthur Smith’s system and played here during the preseason. However, the fact that he is—for now—on the practice squad complicates his availability for games.
Historically, the Steelers are a team committed to carrying three quarterbacks. The only time they diverged from that was a brief window in 2019 when they traded QB Joshua Dobbs in-season. After an offer they couldn’t refuse, they shuffled the deck for a while, with Paxton Lynch on the practice squad and later Devlin Hodges. Logan Woodside is probably not going to be the next Duck, but you never know.
The NFL revived the emergency third quarterback for the 2023 season. Under the rule, it allows teams to dress a third quarterback who is on the 53-man roster without taking up one of the 46 standard active slots. There is also an exception for dressing an eighth offensive lineman, allowing teams to dress up to 48 players a game.
Last year, the NFL briefly passed a rule that would allow teams to not only elevate a third emergency quarterback from the practice squad, but also to do so an unlimited number of times. Teams may only elevate any single player from the practice squad for three games per season. In the Steelers’ case, they would have to elevate Logan Woodside and dress him as one of their standard 46.
It’s worth noting that during the period in which the NFL removed the emergency quarterback exception, the Steelers typically did not dress three quarterbacks. Instead, they used the additional 46th roster spot the NFL opened up on another position. In that context, it’s reasonable to speculate they won’t feel any particular pressure to dress Woodside.
On top of that, they are also very comfortable with Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph as their top quarterbacks. Both are reasonably healthy, even with Rodgers having some back tightness. An emergency quarterback may only enter the game if the other two quarterbacks are forced to exit. Although the need for one is a rare occurrence, it does happen.
The thing is, are the Steelers willing to go three weeks with only two quarterbacks? Presumably, Derrick Harmon will return to health within that time. Once he returns, I assume they will release an offensive or defensive lineman and could then promote Logan Woodside to the 53-man roster. It’s often the case in this era that teams initially sign players to the practice squad they intend to promote eventually.
The Steelers just did that with James Pierre, though, for contractual reasons. He would have had a fully guaranteed contract as a vested veteran if he were on the initial 53-man roster. By signing him to the 53-man roster in Week 2, his contract is only valid on a week-to-week basis. Woodside is also a vested veteran, though obviously the Steelers wouldn’t have signed him if not for Thompson’s injury. Either way, the overarching question is really what this means for Will Howard. But in the meantime, the Steelers have a decision to make about how serious they are about the emergency QB.
