The Pittsburgh Steelers once again need a quarterback this offseason. Unfortunately for them, this is a rough offseason to be in such a situation, as the choices leave a lot to be desired.
At this point, re-signing Aaron Rodgers feels like the best plan, but given that he's 42 years old (and turns 43 at the end of the year/season), retirement is certainly on the table for the long-time NFL veteran. If Rodgers chooses retirement (or ends up playing for another team), what is the plan at quarterback in Pittsburgh?
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler provided some insight on that during a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show. The answer might not be the one fans were hoping for.
"Right now, I would say Plan B is Will Howard," Fowler said. "That wouldn't be the flashy option, but just talking to people there, they really do like him a lot. He's great in the huddle, in the locker room. He's great with teammates. He's acquitted himself well. They felt like Aaron Rodgers did a really good job mentoring him last year. He might just be ready to play."
Pittsburgh Steelers might start Will Howard at QB if Aaron Rodgers retires
As Fowler noted, rolling with Howard as QB1 would probably not excite Steelers fans. A sixth-round pick in 2025, the former Kansas State and Ohio State quarterback didn't take a single snap during his rookie year, as Mason Rudolph was the backup last year and filled in when Rodgers couldn't play.
That being said, Fowler made it sound as though Howard is ready to step up and be the guy if called upon. The ESPN insider also says that the Steelers could still add help in the draft, which is expected.
"The flip side of that is they've done a lot of homework on this draft dating back to really two years ago. They've been kind of loading up for this draft class to potentially take a quarterback," Fowler said. "Now, it's not as strong as people thought it was probably going to be six months ago when you had all those names... But they've done a lot of homework where if they took one this year, it would not shock me. Maybe it's somewhere high. Maybe it's Ty Simpson in the late first, or they can find a way to get him in the second, or Garrett Nussmeier Day 2. I do think they've looked long and hard at those type of options."
Drafting someone, whether it's Ty Simpson or another name, is an expected option for the Steelers. But it sounds like if Rodgers doesn't return, and even if Pittsburgh does add a quarterback in the draft, Howard could be getting some meaningful playing time in the 2026 season.