The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a predicament when it comes to the quarterback position. Aaron Rodgers played well for the organization during the 2025 season, but he certainly has some limitations within his game. He may return in 2026, but he currently is deciding whether or not he wants to retire. Different insiders have said different things on that matter that completely contradict one another, so there is no telling what Rodgers is going to do. Pittsburgh is going to explore every option at quarterback through the 2026 NFL Draft, free agency, and on the trade market as well. The organization also has a pair of in-house options.
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Steelers quarterbacks Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Aaron Rodgers warm up prior to Pittsburgh's 34-12 win over the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 11 of the 2025 NFL regular season.
Mason Rudolph and Will Howard are the only two quarterbacks under contract for the 2026 season in Pittsburgh. The organization already knows what Rudolph can do as he has proven time and time again that he is a very capable backup quarterback, but he likely isn't going to be a starter. Howard still has some untapped potential, and he is a bit of a mystery. His missed the entirety of the 2025 preseason, and he has not seen the field quite yet. Bob Labriola was asked about Howard in his Asked And Answered segment on Thursday.
"Will Howard may know what it's like to win in college, but until Northwestern and Illinois are added to the AFC North or Howard at least makes it through an NFL preseason, I'm not handing over the keys to anything," Labriola wrote. "And I have serious doubts whether this Steelers Nation-wide love affair with Howard will survive his first multi-interception game. Or even his first multi-interception practice in pads at Saint Vincent College. My experience with Steelers fans is they don't have nearly the amount of patience as has been rumored in some of these submissions."
Labriola seems to be pretty cold towards Howard, but that is fair as the young quarterback has not accomplished anything at the NFL level. He had a great collegiate career, but there was a reason he was a sixth-round pick in 2025. He struggled with accuracy at times, and there is no guarantee that he can be a starting quarterback in the league. In fact, it is quite unfair to put that kind of pressure on a sixth-round selection.
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Steelers quarterback Will Howard during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Howard has a large sect of the fan base in Pittsburgh rooting for him to be the starter in 2026, which wouldn't be the worst idea. If he sucks, the Steelers can land better draft positioning in 2027. If he is good and wins games for the team, then he could potentially be the answer at the position. It is a win-win scenario for the organization, but the franchise will still probably find someone else to bring in to be the starting quarterback.
There is a chance that Howard can be good, but there is no reason to believe that is a lock. Fans will find out more about the quarterback once training camp rolls around in July and August. He hasn't seen any sort of game action yet, and that will be the true test. He has the frame and the raw tools many organizations want in a quarterback, but that doesn't mean he will get the job.
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Steelers quarterback Will Howard gets ready to take a snap during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers' Will Howard Must Impress In Training Camp
There is no understating the fact that Howard has a lot of pressure on him heading into 2026. Not that he will be the starter, but the fan base has built up the hype around the quarterback ever since he was drafted. The fans are going to want to see him succeed, even if it's just in a preseason game. A bad performance could make the fan base turn against him, which is common in Pittsburgh over the last few years.
What do you think of Howard heading into 2026?
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