The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback dilemma is not a quiet subplot. It’s Front Street. And with the 2026 NFL Draft approaching at full speed, general manager Omar Khan can’t sidestep the conversation — even if he wanted to.
At the NFL Combine Tuesday morning, Khan delivered a quote that immediately made me pause.
“We may have the guy on the roster, we don’t know.”
It was simple and honest, but unsettling.
With Aaron Rodgers’ retirement odds climbing by the day, the hope has been that Will Howard would ascend into the QB1 role under new head coach Mike McCarthy. The transition felt almost scripted. Veteran mentor exits. Young, developmental prospect steps forward. It's a perfect clean break followed by a fresh start.
But Khan wasn’t ready to stamp that narrative.
Since McCarthy’s arrival, Howard has quietly been viewed as the front-runner. He spent his rookie season learning, absorbing, and developing behind the scenes. He didn’t take a snap, but he wasn’t drafted by accident. Pittsburgh saw something — poise, leadership, pedigree. You don’t invest in a quarterback, even in the sixth round, without intention.
Still, Khan refused to double down.
“We’re excited to work with Will,” he said. “But we all know that has to be addressed, and we’re all looking for the same thing. We’re just not there yet.”
It’s truthful and transparent. It confirms what many suspected: the Steelers are not fully convinced they have their long-term answer.
Omar Khan's statements expose the Pittsburgh Steelers' desperation for a franchise QB
On one hand, that’s responsible management. Banking the future of a franchise on a sixth-round quarterback who hasn’t played an NFL snap is risky. Howard may be a national champion with a competitor’s pedigree, but projection and production are two different conversations. Pittsburgh cannot afford to confuse potential with proof.
On the other hand, uncertainty has consequences.
If Howard isn’t definitively the future and Rodgers doesn’t return, then what? Reaching for a quarterback in a draft class widely viewed as limited at the position? Overspending in free agency? Rolling into camp with a competition that feels more like desperation than design?
Khan’s comments crystallized the organization’s mindset heading into draft season. They are exploring everything. No emotional attachments or forced narratives. Just evaluation.
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And I respect that.
The Steelers have lived through quarterback instability before. They’ve tried quick fixes and chased veteran stopgaps. They’ve drafted and developed. None of it matters if conviction isn’t present at the top.
What struck me most wasn’t what Khan said — it was what he didn’t say. There was no glowing endorsement. No subtle hint that Howard has separated himself. Just cautious optimism paired with open-ended evaluation.
That tells me Pittsburgh is preparing for multiple scenarios.
Maybe Howard wins the job outright and quiets every doubt. Maybe Rodgers has a change of heart. Maybe draft night reshapes everything. But Khan made one thing clear: sentiment will not drive this decision.
The Steelers are looking for certainty. And until they find it, the quarterback question remains open.
For a franchise built on stability, that reality feels unfamiliar. But it also feels necessary. Because if Pittsburgh gets this decision right, it won’t just solve a depth chart issue. It will define the next decade of Steelers football.