"Could See Their Development Ruined": Steelers Could Truly Mess Up The Future At Quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a bit of an odd spot when it comes to the quarterback position. It is believed Aaron Rodgers will return for the 2026 season, but there are many questions remaining for the long-term outlook at the position. When the team selected Will Howard in the sixth round back in 2025, it was believed he could be a low-risk high reward pick that eventually would mold into a long-term signal-caller. However, the franchise then went after Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Allar has all the physical tools, but had some shortcomings in college.

The decision to take of Allar paints a bit of an unclear picture as to where the team will look to get its long-term answer at quarterback. While new head coach Mike McCarthy is high on Howard, the brass also seems to be set on rebuilding the Penn State product from the ground up. On Friday, Chris Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette had his weekly chat to discuss some things about the organization. 

Carter's answer about the long-term outlook on the two quarterbacks makes it clear that only time will tell how the future of the quarterback position will play out in the Steel City.

"I think one thing people overlook when they go down this line of thinking is that you'd like to give your young QBs space to grow without a trial by fire," Carter wrote. "A young quarterback thrown to the wolves could see their development ruined if they're forced to play before they're ready and get beat up a lot. Especially for a player like Drew Allar who is having his mechanics completely re-worked, I think it would be more beneficial for him to focus on his fundamentals for a season than have to focus on a new gameplan every week. Same goes for [Will] Howard, as he missed most of last season."

With the organization sending mixed signals about the future outlook at quarterback, both Howard and Allar are going to need time to develop. Howard has what Allar seemingly does not, and that is the clutch gene to win big games. He led Ohio State University to the 2025 National Championship, while Allar that year threw a late-game interception that allowed the Notre Dame Fighting Irish to ultimately knock off the Nittany Lions in the semifinals. 

McCarthy was praised by former Black and Gold head coach Bill Cowher regarding his ability to develop NFL quarterbacks. McCarthy has the track record of working with Rodgers, as well as guys like Brett Favre and Joe Montana. He has his work cut out for him with both of the young quarterbacks in the locker room if the front office does believe one of them can be the long-term answer at quarterback.

Steelers Must Exercise Patience To Find Future Answer At Quarterback

The organization will have to be patient as it searches for its long-term answer at quarterback, which will be its first since Ben Roethlisberger. With Allar needing some time to be rebuilt and develop his mechanics, it sets up for an interesting potential battle at the position for the 2027 offseason. It is common for NFL franchises to keep taking swings on quarterbacks in the draft, which is not out of the realm of possibility for Pittsburgh to do once again.

However, if the decision-makers truly believe in one of their young guys, or even both, they are going to need to patient as they let McCarthy try to develop them. It would appear Howard would have the inside track to start in 2027 given his ability to win in college. However, a new coaching staff that is led by someone who has great experience with developing quarterbacks could be exactly what Allar needs to change the narrative on his game.

It would not be a great idea to just throw one of the young guys into the fire and see what happens. Should that happen, it could hurt their confidence and throw them off their game. Instead, the organization will need to exercise patience and give them time as they look to see if they can grow them into their next Roethlisberger.

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