It's not unusual to see an NFL team's quarterbacks and receivers get together for a little bonding time before training camp. This is something that Aaron Rodgers did last July in Malibu, and he just did it again. Only this time, it was impossible to ignore one offensive player missing from the picture.
On Sunday, Rodgers posted photos on Instagram of himself and his teammates enjoying the great outdoors with horseback riding, paddleboarding, and campfires. Among his companions to make the trip were DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Ben Skowronek, Roman Wilson, Pat Freiermuth, and Mason Rudolph.
But one name who was not among the group was quarterback Will Howard.
This is notable, considering Howard is believed to be in competition for the backup quarterback job in 2026. And while Rudolph enjoyed the summer festivities, Howard didn't share in the bonding time with his teammates on Rodgers' retreat.
Aaron Rodgers may have tipped his hand to who's in pole position to be the Pittsburgh Steelers' QB2 this season
It's still the offseason for a few more weeks. We don't want to make more of a few photos than we should. However, Howard's absence among the team's receivers and a pair of quarterbacks stood out like a sore thumb.
Was it a coincidence? Did Howard have other summer plans before Steelers camp? Did he not receive an invite? These are likely some of the questions running through fans' minds right now.
For what it's worth, rookie quarterback Drew Allar and rookie receiver Germie Bernard also didn't make the trip. But they have something obvious in common—they're rookies.
Even if the group of offensive players invited was Rodgers' closenit 'friends' group, it makes you wonder why Howard didn't make the cut.
For as much hype as there has been surrounding Howard, I keep coming back to the fact that we are talking about a sixth-round draft choice who hasn't played so much as a preseason snap in the pros, let alone a snap of meaningful NFL football.
Like it or not, we know that Aaron Rodgers has some pull with this organization, and the 42-year-old quarterback was able to string general manager Omar Khan along for months during the offseason, just like he did in the previous year.
Meanwhile, for a team putting all of their eggs in the basket to win now, it would be logical to go with a nine-year veteran as a backup quarterback—a player who's played in 34 NFL games (19 starts), thrown 30 touchdowns, and has attempted 738 passes in the regular season.
Some in the Steelers community believe that Mason Rudolph is in the driver's seat for the QB2 job, and it's possible that Aaron Rodgers just showed where Will Howard stands in the pecking order after not making the trip for the summer meet-up.
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