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Joe Starkey made it back from Buffalo in time for this week’s “Beyond The Bylines.” And he left there with lots of questions in the wake of the Bills’ 28-27 defeat of the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final preseason game of 2026 for both clubs. One of them was (unless there’s a significant injury) why Roman Wilson didn’t play. “Has he even won a job? If I had to play tomorrow in a game I need to win — which is every one of them in the NFL — I like (Germie) Bernard better than Wilson,” Starkey said. “Am I crazy?” I don’t think he’s crazy. I think he’s right. And I bet by the time the team heads to Paris at the end of October, Bernard is a more targeted wide receiver than Wilson is. Starkey also has questions about another Wilson — inside linebacker Payton Wilson. In fact, Starkey’s doubts about Wilson are significant enough that he is wondering if Cole Holcomb might take his job. “I’ve seen some people have Holcomb as the odd guy out (at ILB), but I wouldn’t do that,” Starkey said. “I think he can be a valuable player for them. I even had a hot take last night that he might play more than Payton Wilson this season.” I wouldn’t do that. Like many Steelers fans, I want to see more out of Payton Wilson. But the more Holcomb plays, the more you’ll see the lingering effects of that brutal injury he suffered in 2023. He’s still best in small, specialty doses. But Starkey seems most dubious of Will Howard. The second-year quarterback out of Ohio State threw two short touchdown passes and had one interception against the Bills. He was sacked three times, and hit three additional times. The Ohio State product was 9-16 for 69 yards and a passer rating of 83.1. Starkey believes the Steelers should go with Drew Allar as the No. 3 quarterback and try to slip Howard onto the practice squad. That’s if last night’s head injury doesn’t result in him being on the PUP list/injured reserve to start the year. “Allar should be No. 3. What would be the risk of putting Howard on the practice squad? Howard was… OK. I was at the game. I was watching it. There’s just nothing unique or different about him,” Starkey said. “He had two short flips for touchdowns. The first one was all Bernard. Other than that, I feel like I’m watching a guy whose ceiling is to be a slightly worse Mason Rudolph.” During the show, Starkey and I debate that topic in depth. We also discussed concerns along the offensive line and in the secondary. Plus, we dive into the latest angles of Joey Porter’s contract situation, and we unearth some Pirates conversation as well.