The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the offseason with many holes on their roster. The main topic of discussion right now surrounds the quarterback position. Many fans believe in second-year quarterback Will Howard, who looks to make his mark in training camp following an injury-riddled rookie campaign where he sat as the emergency third-quarterback for most of the 2025 season. With the new hiring of Head Coach Mike McCarthy, McCarthy feels excited about having Howard on the roster. However, the door remains open for last year's quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, to reunite with his former head coach and lead the Steelers to a seventh Super Bowl win.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy during his time in Green Bay, standing with Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers.
When speaking on 93.7 The Fan, NFL analyst Mike Florio urged the Steelers to be cautious about bringing back the aging quarterback.
"It has to be his decision if it's not gonna continue. It can't be the Steelers' decision. It's gonna take some time," Florio explained. "If for some reason he says, 'I do wanna come back,' then you got to figure out whether or not you really want him back," Florio said.
Rodgers proved to be an effective game manager for the Steelers last year. The 21-year veteran posted a respectable stat line with 3,322 passing yards, a 24-7 TD/INT ratio, and 65.7% completion percentage. However, the quarterback is 42, and his better days are behind him. Rodgers won his lone Super Bowl with McCarthy at the helm, and that could be leverage for him to reunite with the team. However, a quarterback with youth, a strong arm, and better mobility seems like a clear-cut choice for the Steelers brass.
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Steelers QB Will Howard during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Florio had even more to say when asked what the Steelers should do about their former quarterback.
"I don't think it makes sense because he is far from the Aaron Rodgers that played for Mike McCarthy, and I don't think it helps what you're trying to do now," Florio explained.
Florio is clear that he believes the Steelers need to move in a different direction with their quarterback. The 42-year-old won't add continuity to the franchise as he would likely be on another one-year deal. The move would just postpone another year of looking for a franchise quarterback through the NFL Draft. The Steelers have been reluctant to pick a quarterback with their high draft picks since drafting Kenny Pickett with the 20th overall pick in the 2022 draft. Rodgers' performance kept the Steelers' hopes alive in the 2025 season, as the team still won the AFC North in a nail-biting Week 18 finish against the Baltimore Ravens, thanks to a missed game-winning field goal by rookie kicker Tyler Loop. However, the team's outcome remained the same as it had been in the previous several seasons: no playoff win. To get back to their historic prowess, the Steelers need to undergo changes internally. They need to commit to youth, something they haven't done since Pickett, which didn't end well. By going with Howard, the Steelers can see if there is young stardom brewing in him.
Howard Could Be Steelers' Saving Grace
If the Steelers go with Howard, they have nothing to lose as they finally put trust in a young quarterback and could potentially find a young star that is still on a rookie contract. This would allow the team to have more flexibility to build around him for the future. If Howard doesn't pan out, the team would more than likely receive a high draft pick that can be used to pick a high-quality quarterback coming out of college. No matter what, signing Rodgers would prevent either of those scenarios from happening.
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Steelers QBs Will Howard (left) and Aaron Rodgers (right) at mandatory minicamp in 2025.
As Florio said, the Steelers can't wait around all day awaiting a phone call from Rodgers on his future. The Steelers need to address the situation as soon as possible, so they can assess the position. Whether or not that be from a scouting and draft strategy point of view, or making sure Howard is preparing in the right ways to being a starting quarterback, the Steelers should remain cautious on giving Rodgers another shot.
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