The Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback room is only going to grow more popular as the 2026 season goes on and into the future. Steelers GM Omar Khan and new head coach Mike McCarthy wanted to go all in for one last ride with Aaron Rodgers. After the 2026 season, Rodgers has made it known he will be retiring from the NFL, and then Pittsburgh can take another legitimate swing at trying to solve the franchise quarterback issue.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
The Steelers drafted quarterback Drew Allar out of Penn State with the 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Just a year prior, in the 2025 NFL Draft, they used their sixth-round pick to select quarterback Will Howard. The Steelers also have a veteran backup option in Mason Rudolph, but it sounds more and more like he's starting to get squeezed out no matter how much certain Steelers insiders claim they need him. Others don't view Rudolph that way and believe it would be wiser to truly start seeing what you have in the two younger, exciting options with real upside.
Naturally, with two young polarizing quarterbacks in Allar and Howard, the very polarizing Rodgers, and then Rudolph, there's going to be plenty of stories surrounding this room. The most important thing is the development behind Rodgers of Allar and Howard. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly articulated on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday that Rodgers actually could hurt that development a little bit.
"The way I look at it, we will go from the top," Kaboly said. "Obviously, Aaron Rodgers is the number one, and he is difficult because he doesn't want to sit out of practices at all. You may have to just force him out a little bit. They really truly believe they wanna see what they got in Will Howard. I still think they will move forward with Will Howard getting the second-most reps. Then you have Mason Rudolph, then Drew Allar as it is. If you could, you probably will switch them up a little bit during the camp itself."
Kaboly doesn’t think there are going to be many real chances for Allar to do much in training camp. The way it sounds, the Steelers are going to be pretty structured with how they split reps, and when you factor in a veteran like Rodgers at the top of the depth chart, it gets more complex because he won't want to just sit out.
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Steelers' quarterback Aaron Rodgers looks into the distance with intense focus as he stands in street clothes while the team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Howard should get the bulk of the reps after Rodgers, according to Kaboly. It’s going to be more of a controlled setup than anything wide open.
Steelers Trying To Balance Winning Now And Prepping For The Future
It’s also important to note that even if Rodgers comes off as difficult at times because he wants to practice and stay involved, that shouldn’t really upset Steelers fans. If anything, it should probably be taken as a sign that he is still locked in and taking this final season seriously in the NFL and with Pittsburgh. He is not just there to go through the motions; he is trying to compete and stay sharp, even if that creates some tension in how reps are handled.
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Steelers quarterback Drew Allar walks out on stage during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
At the same time, there is still the bigger picture with Allar and Howard developing behind him. Rodgers might not have 'mentor' listed as part of his job description, but he's willing to be that type of leader. Kaboly’s point is really that the reps might be limited for Allar, but the Steelers are still trying to balance winning now with figuring out what they actually have in the young quarterbacks for the future.
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