Steelers' Head Coaching Change Could Mean A Brutal QB Cut Is On The Way

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a major quarterback conundrum on their hands. If 2025 starter Aaron Rodgers decides to come back, then Pittsburgh will carry four signal-callers on its roster. The Black and Gold just used its first of three third-round picks on Penn State quarterback Drew Allar, and the room has become a bit crowded. The team will have to make some tough personnel decisions as the regular season approaches, especially with its quarterback depth, where three players will battle for two roster spots. 

The franchise now has two young, promising quarterbacks to evaluate. 2025 sixth-round pick from Ohio State University, Will Howard, has made some noise as a potential development piece. He missed a portion of training camp and all of the preseason in 2025, and even spent time on the injured reserve during the regular season while he nursed a finger injury. Despite this, he has the confidence of many fans and even Head Coach Mike McCarthy, but with the selection of Allar and the veteran presence of Mason Rudolph, it may be difficult for Howard to make the team. 

It's been an uphill battle for Howard, as the former College Football Playoff champion was passed on multiple times by each NFL team throughout the draft process. He has the intangibles of an NFL quarterback, but isn't the most polished prospect. The goal is that McCarthy can aid the development of the two young quarterbacks, as he has often been called the quarterback guru. However, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Steelers beat writer Brian Batko believes that Howard could be a cut candidate. He wrote about this in his recent Steelers mailbag.

"If Howard struggles mightily, then the door is cracked for Rudolph to stick around as the backup. In that scenario, Howard gets cut. That happens all the time to sixth-round picks, particularly when a new coaching staff takes over," Batko wrote. 

The Steelers cutting Howard is a very real possibility. Going into the season with a 42-year-old quarterback and two inexperienced players isn't the smartest idea. If Rodgers were to go down, the only other option would be one of the two inexperienced quarterbacks. However, if Rudolph sticks around, he provides a ton of veteran experience and has been a starter for the Steelers plenty of times. Rudolph has been surrounded by trade and cut speculation throughout the season, but cutting Howard, a sixth-round pick, is a possibility, despite any confidence in him. 

Batko suggested that the Steelers could be moving on, especially with the hiring of McCarthy. He points to the tendency of a new coach making some cuts initially and mentions the Allar pick as a sign of where the quarterback room may be headed. 

"I know you’re thinking, 'But they love Will Howard!' Yes, I’m sure they do. He’s an easy guy to like. But they love Howard so much that they just invested a premium pick in Allar. How many times do the Steelers need to remind us we should put more stock into what they do than what they say?"

Pittsburgh used a high-draft pick on Allar, who was considered one of the top prospects at the position in the 2026 NFL Draft. The front office hosted the former Nittany Lion for a top-30 visit and paid close attention to him at the NFL Combine. The use of the third-round pick on Allar is a direct action that could lead to the belief that Howard's future may be in the balance. His training camp and potential preseason will dictate that. 

The Steelers Indirectly Made Their Decision With The Allar Pick

Pittsburgh adding another quarterback, especially as high as it did, spells trouble for Howard. The franchise cannot carry two young quarterbacks and cut Rudolph; it just doesn't make sense. 

Allar had been a player that the Steelers brass had been looking at throughout the 2026 offseason, and unless Howard looks incredible in the early parts of the offseason, then Allar may be next man up. 

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