Howard needs to prove to staff he can be competent

The Steelers will head into the regular season with Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar, who shined in training camp and during preseason outings in Mike McCarthy’s offense. If the 2026 season goes south for Pittsburgh, look for McCarthy to see what he has in Allar and perhaps Howard. Rudolph will likely back up Rodgers to start the regular season.

The only QB who truly felt like he was on the roster bubble this offseason was Will Howard. The former sixth-round pick immediately found himself in competition for a roster spot after the Steelers used the No. 76 pick in this year’s draft to select Penn State’s Drew Allar, but it would appear that Howard’s spot on the roster is safe for now. Speaking after the team’s preseason finale against the Bills, McCarthy said that he feels good about the team’s quarterback room and suggested that we can expect both players, along with Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, to all be on the roster after cutdown day. Howard threw for 229 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions this preseason, while Allar threw for 351-2-0 but completed just 55.6 percent of his passes. We wouldn’t expect either QB to see the field in the regular season.

Allar struggled more in his second taste of preseason action, taking three sacks while completing only 47.8 percent of his passes, but were it not for three dropped passes and some garbage-time heaves on the game’s final drive, his box score would have looked a little better. Allar’s most impressive throw came on his second drive of the game, when he evaded pressure and ran left to throw a 38-yard ball down the sideline that was placed neatly between two defenders to receiver Lake McRee for a big gain. In the fourth quarter, he would connect with Isaiah Winstead on a 17-yard gain, again on a tight pass near the sideline for his second-longest completion of the night. Allar fared better than second-year QB Will Howard, who completed 10-of-15 passes for 74 yards but was picked off twice in the first half. We would expect both quarterbacks to get extended opportunities in next week’s preseason finale against the Bills on Thursday. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers are planning on keeping both Howard and Allar on the roster, but Mason Rudolph will serve as the team’s QB2 behind Aaron Rodgers.

Howard is set to compete with veteran Mason Rudolph for backup duties to begin the season. Rudolph and Howard were splitting reps in the team’s offseason program last month. NFL Network reported in January that Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy “likes Will Howard a lot” and sees potential in his offensive system. “I’m not saying the Steelers believe Will Howard will be the quarterback for ten years after Aaron Rodgers is gone,” Breer said. “But I do think Mike McCarthy sees a little something there and wanted to take a closer look.” Howard, going into his age-25 season, threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions during his final collegiate season at Ohio State in 2024. He ranked fourth among all CFB quarterbacks in adjusted yards per attempt that season.

Howard and Rudolph have split reps so far in Pittsburgh’s offseason program. With Aaron Rodger still on radio silence, the Steelers are making do with their current quarterback room. Howard is a sixth-round pick from last year while Rudolph is a veteran backup who has started for the Steelers before. They are splitting reps, indicating Howard is getting developmental opportunities while the Steelers are keeping Rudolph ready with the offense in case the veteran needs to step in. Of course, all this could be moot if Rodgers returns, but for now Howard and Rudolph are getting equal starting opportunities early in the offseason program.

McCarthy also said he hopes to develop 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, mentioning making tweaks to the 24-year-old’s footwork to help him “win from the pocket.” While Steelers owner Art Rooney II said he hopes to have Aaron Rodgers’ return decision by draft weekend, the team will need long-term plans at the quarterback position. In his first year as Steelers head coach, McCarthy will aim to develop Howard and also add his own selection from the 2026 rookie class. DeFabo reports the Steelers have met with Miami’s Carson Beck at the NFL Combine and at the team’s facility. Drew Allar, Ty Simpson, Cole Payton, and Taylen Green are also mentioned as options by DeFabo. As the Steelers await Aaron Rodgers for a second straight offseason, evaluation for a younger quarterback room will be underway.

McCarthy has continually pumped Howard up since being named Steelers head coach. He did also note today that he’d carry five quarterbacks if he could. We expect Howard to be Pittsburgh’s No. 2 quarterback unless they add someone high in the draft. Considering how frail Aaron Rodgers is at this point, Howard probably has a reasonable chance to play football at some point in 2026 if he remains the No. 2 quarterback. That said, this isn’t a “make sure he’s rostered” in dynasty-caliber endorsement.

In his article, Dulac writes that the Steelers “have little if no intention of taking a quarterback with their top pick,” while adding “it’s more than likely it wouldn’t be until the third round” when they would consider drafting a QB. He also added that they would only take a QB if they believed he had a higher ceiling than Will Howard, who they selected in the sixth-round of last year’s draft. The Steelers met with Penn State’s Drew Allar, Miami’s Carson Beck, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson at last week’s combine, with Simpson being the only QB who is believed to have a chance at going in the first round. Whether or not Aaron Rodgers opts to return for another season will likely also factor into the team’s decision on if/when they should draft a QB, but regardless, it doesn’t sound like we should expect the Steelers to reach into the first-round to draft their quarterback of the future.

Pryor believes that the Steelers would like to know Rodgers’ intentions “sooner rather than later,” ideally before the NFL Combine for scouting purposes. During new head coach Mike McCarthy’s interview process, McCarthy reportedly laid out a plan to develop 2025 sixth-round pick, QB Will Howard, who missed most of last season due to a “freak” pinky finger injury. McCarthy is a “big fan” of Howard, though one wonders how big a fan he is, given Pryor’s comments about Rodgers’ decision-making timing regarding the NFL Combine.

It’s hard to know how seriously to take these nuggets in January, especially when Howard is one of only two quarterbacks currently under contract with the Steelers. Howard was selected by the Steelers in the sixth round of last year’s draft and threw for 4,010-35-10 in his final college season with Ohio State on his way to winning a national championship. Given the current state of the Steelers’ quarterback room and the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers, it’s possible Howard gets a chance to compete for the starting job in camp, but the Steelers are all but certain to add another quarterback or two to their room this offseason, whether it’s via the draft or free agency.