Will Howard's Simple Path To Being Steelers' QB2 Officially Uncovered

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the more fascinating quarterback rooms in the entire NFL. Aaron Rodgers is leading the way at 42 years old, who is followed by Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph (in no particular order). There will continue to be a legitimate battle for the spot directly behind the future Hall of Famer. Anyone could end up winning that job, so a ton of conversation has surrounded the situation. With Organized Team Activities (OTAs) underway, a lot of intrigue has focused on the position, even if there is an unquestioned starter already present in the locker room.

The expectation is that the Steelers can only keep three signal-callers on the 53-man roster. This is pretty standard across the league, and some teams only end up keeping two. Overall, Rodgers is the starter and Allar is a third-round rookie who isn't going to be thrown off to the side after having just a couple of months to develop as a professional.

That leaves both Howard and Rudolph at the forefront of the discussion. One of them could earn the top backup spot while the other could end up getting traded or released. The new coaching regime has not been shy when lauding Howard for his talents, but the organization still went on to take a quarterback on Day 2 of the NFL Draft. Pittsburgh has almost always had a veteran second- or third-stringer on the roster, so all signs point to Howard potentially getting the short end of the stick. 

In a fan chat hosted by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac on Wednesday, he was asked if the Steelers have been talking so highly of Howard as part of a strategic initiative, rather than because he has the chance to start one day. The insider detailed exactly how simple this all is, and it could just take one strong August from the former sixth-round selection.

"I don't think they are 'pumping' him at all, especially for that reason," Dulac wrote. "But, yes, there is a chance he could be the No. 2. But he better have an incredible preseason to do so."

There is always the chance that one of the quarterbacks gets hurt and lands on Injured Reserve. This would avoid all potential conflict. A fan joked with the beat writer that no one should be surprised if Allar heads to IR due to a silly injury in August.

"Ha, that is always a possibility -- a strong possibility. It will all depend on how well Howard plays in the preseason. If he lights it up, who knows..." Dulac noted.

Essentially, Howard's 2026 preseason stretch will help determine if he is better suited to be the Steelers' first-in-line as a backup, or if it is worth it for the team to take the risk of cutting him and the signal-caller finding his way back to the practice squad.

The good news for the Steelers is that no decision needs to be made until the very end of August and a lot can happen from June until then. Overall, though, the story will continue to be talked about in the media and amongst the fan base.

Howard deserves a chance, even if he was just a sixth-round selection, but if he doesn't give the coaching staff enough confidence to be the backup, Rudolph most likely ends up with that role because of his experience and Allar's lack thereof.

Steelers Are Hoping That Howard Proves To Be Ready

Without it being an indictment on Rudolph's game, Pittsburgh is probably hopeful that Howard shows what he is capable of in training camp and the preseason. He did not get a chance to do so during his rookie season, so his time in the Steel City might actually be short-lived if Rudolph plays exceptionally better than him during exhibition contests. Then, Allar will most likely settle in as the third option while he continues to develop, unless a sudden injury were to pop up.

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