While the Pittsburgh Steelers are now enjoying their summer prior to Training Camp, we’re going to spend some time previewing the positions. From the locks to the guys who are just ‘camp bodies’ we’ll take a look at all of the guys competing at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.
The Quarterbacks
What We Know: Despite four quarterbacks being on the roster, there are already some clear-cut decisions. Aaron Rodgers is the starter. He didn’t come back for what he calls his “last year” to do anything other than be the starter so we can pencil that in without hesitation. We also know that Drew Allar will be the number three quarterback to start the season. If you don’t understand why then let me explain.
Allar was a third round pick in this April’s draft and you don’t do anything with third round QBs other than keep them on the roster. Is he the “quarterback of the future?” There’s a lost of physical talent there but there’s also a lot of work to do in terms of his fundamentals. This is why we saw him doing some rather rudimentary footwork drills during the Rookie Camp. Regardless, he’s locked in barring a season-ending injury.
Rodgers claims 2026 is his ‘last season.’
What We Don’t Know: The other two QBs are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Rudolph is an established veteran QB who has played his entire career in Pittsburgh except for 2024 when he was in Tennessee. He’s started 19 career games and has played in 34 over his previous six seasons. With Rudolph, you know what you’re getting. He will be prepared and he can run the offense. He needs to get the ball in the hands of playmakers because he’s not going to extend plays himself. At this point in his career, Rudy is what he is.
Howard is the wild-card in this entire scenario. Drafted in 2025 in the sixth round, Howard was expected to get a lot of snaps in Camp and the Preseason. That didn’t happen after he broke a bone in his hand early on in Latrobe. He never saw a meaningful snap his entire rookie campaign. In other words, he largely enters 2026 as a rookie. The only advantage he has is that he had a jump start on Mike McCarthy’s offense compared to Allar.
Athletically, Howard is better than people realize. He displayed a solid ability to scare teams with his legs while at Kansas State and then took advantage of the immense talent around him in hos only season at Ohio State. He led the Buckeyes to a National Title yet he was still just a sixth round selection. For every Tom Brady there are hundreds of ‘other guys’ who went on to nothing in their NFL careers. Howard will need help around him should he have to play. The arm strength outside the numbers just isn’t there so he’s limited in what he can do.
How It Shakes Out: Assuming that both Rudolph and Howard remain healthy throughout Camp and the preseason, it’s going to come down with who McCarthy is the most comfortable. There have been times in his coaching career when he’s favored younger backups behind his veteran QB so that seems to favor Howard. While not a huge amount, moving Rudy somewhere else would also save the team a few dollars as well.
I’m of the opinion that when you have a soon-to-be 43-year old quarterback, you should probably have some experience right behind him. I’m not the head coach however and if Howard takes care of the ball and runs the offense during the preseason then I think the job is his. There’s a lot of snaps to be taken and throws to be made however before the Steelers ever get to a game-time situation.
