Aaron Rodgers quickly stole the spotlight during OTAs, as we all expected, but Will Howard is also drawing buzz from the media. Howard was seen taking second-team reps at quarterback as the Pittsburgh Steelers mixed and matched offensive lineups during organized team activities.
Still, Howard's job hardly feels secure at this point.
With Rodgers inking a one-year deal to return to Pittsburgh, the Steelers have four quarterbacks on their roster: Rodgers, Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Drew Allar. This creates a dilemma.
Historically, Mike McCarthy has preferred keeping two quarterbacks on his active gameday roster, with his third coming from the practice squad. This is what he did at times during his tenure with the Cowboys. In 2022, McCarthy had just two quarterbacks—Dak Prescott and Cooper Rush.
Three feels like the magic number for McCarthy and, needless to say, the Steelers can't justify keeping four.
Recently, Steelers offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio talked about how you can never have enough quarterbacks, but one of Pittsburgh's signal-callers is bound to be either traded or released before the season... and it could be the wrong guy.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could trade or try to stash quarterback Will Howard on the practice squad
Despite the buzz that Howard is already garnering from the Steelers media, the young quarterback might be the odd man out of the group. I would not agree with this decision, but then again, I wasn't on board with bringing Aaron Rodgers back for another year.
Let's run through some deductive reasoning.
Rodgers' reputation, status, and salary obviously make him the QB1 in Pittsburgh. This means that, if the Steelers keep three total quarterbacks (which is standard around the league), one of Rudolph, Howard, or Allar has to go.
As a 2026 third-round draft choice (No. 76 overall), it would look incredibly foolish if GM Omar Khan had to cut Allar before he ever had the chance to appear for an NFL game. Though Allar isn't anywhere near ready to see the field, his developmental traits, youth (22 years old), and four-year rookie contract make him the perfect developmental, emergency QB3. It's unlikely they will need to call on him this season.
If this is the case, there is one spot left, as Howard and Rudolph battle for QB2 in Pittsburgh. This is where things get dicey.
We know what Rudolph is capable of, and quite frankly, it's pretty underwhelming. The soon-to-be 31-year-old can start in a pinch. However, fans would much rather go for the youth and potential of Howard, who led Ohio State to a National Championship two years ago.
The Steelers might not see it that way.
Their decision to bring back a 42-year-old Rodgers for another season shows just how much their minds are in the present, not the future. If Rodgers happens to go down with an injury for a 2-4 game stretch, chances are, the Steelers will trust a nine-year veteran like Rudolph over Howard (a sixth-round pick who was basically forced to reshirt his rookie season and has yet to see the NFL field for as much as a preseason game so far).
This is the sad reality of the situation, and Pittsburgh might not be willing to leave anything to chance. If head coach Mike McCarthy feels that Allar is the best developmental QB prospect on the roster, there might only be room for him. The team may prefer to have an experienced backup like Rudolph as their QB2.
Because of this, don't be surprised if the team either looks to trade Will Howard or even tries to stash him on the practice squad after NFL roster cut-downs. Despite his reputation, Howard was a late-round pick, so he might be able to circle back to the practice squad. But if he has a strong preseason, this might not be possible.
Again, this wouldn't be my choice. With Rodgers signed, my decision would be easy—look to trade Mason Rudolph before the start of the season, assuming the three other quarterbacks on the Steelers' roster are healthy.
Sadly, this team has reached desperation mode as they look to avoid a 10-year drought without a playoff win. That's why they brought Rodgers back, and it's why they refused to save money and move on from players like Patrick Queen and Jalen Ramsey. This team is dying to win now.
And if they feel more comfortable with Rudolph as their backup quarterback, they might wind up trading or releasing the wrong quarterback before the 2026 season.
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