The Pittsburgh Steelers’ long-time head coach Mike Tomlin decided it’s time for a new voice in the Steel City. After the 2025 season ended, Tomlin believed it was the right moment for players like Chris Boswell, TJ Watt, and Cam Heyward to experience the optimism and excitement that comes with new leadership.
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stands on the field and watches his team practice during a 2025 training camp workout at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
After 19 seasons in Pittsburgh, things are expected to look dramatically different moving forward, even though there is still continuity at quarterback. Aaron Rodgers arrived for the 2025 season and led the Steelers to an AFC North title and a 10–7 record. Following the season, he hinted at a possible return for 2026, and after a long offseason of speculation, Rodgers ultimately decided to finish his NFL career with one more year in Pittsburgh.
Now, with Tomlin gone and Rodgers back alongside his former head coach Mike McCarthy, there are plenty of questions about what the partnership can accomplish. They have one final chance to recreate something special, and because of that, NFL analyst Rich Eisen said on his show Thursday that Rodgers is the quarterback under the most pressure heading into 2026.
"Number one on this list is Aaron Rodgers," Eisen said. "Will he feel it? I don't know. Does it matter to him? I think it does. Is his legacy already cemented? I think it is. But will he play another year? He already says he's not. You want to win one more? You've got one last chance to do it."
There were a few questions when McCarthy took this job about whether he truly wanted Rodgers as his quarterback in his first season with a storied franchise. McCarthy spent 13 seasons with the Green Bay Packers, five coaching the Dallas Cowboys, and now, in 2026, will be in his first year coaching the Steelers.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy and quarterback Aaron Rodgers talking things over at practice in the summer of 2026.
He’s no stranger to the pressure of leading storied franchises with passionate fan bases, but Eisen also wonders if things go bad for the duo, whether McCarthy would feel pressure to turn to Will Howard.
"For Mike McCarthy also," Eisen said. "He may be under some pressure as well to see what else is going on with Will Howard if it doesn’t work out with Rodgers. Could it possibly get to that? I doubt it."
McCarthy didn’t actually draft Howard, but when he arrived, he made it clear he was a big fan of the young quarterback already on the roster. Then, in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, McCarthy and company selected QB Drew Allar 76th overall.
Naturally, this has led to questions about the future of the position.
Steelers Looking To The Future Of The QB Position
After the 2026 season, the Steelers know Rodgers is gone and will evaluate what they have in Howard and Allar, while also looking ahead to the 2027 NFL Draft to potentially find a more likely long-term face of the franchise at quarterback, should one be available when Pittsburgh is on the clock.
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Steelers quarterback Will Howard during the 2025 training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, working with coaches and teammates as he prepares for his first full NFL season.
Howard was taken in the sixth round, and because of that, history isn’t on his side. Though, some close to the organization truly believe he’s got a chance. Then there’s still Allar’s development. Pittsburgh is thinking about how to solve its quarterback problem, but no answer is clear.
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