The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most intriguing quarterback rooms in the entire NFL heading into the 2026 season. While most of the conversation has centered around veteran Aaron Rodgers and rookie Drew Allar, it is second-year signal-caller Will Howard who is generating the most interesting behind the scenes chatter. On a recent episode of The Arthur Moats Experience, Emmy Award-winning broadcaster Mark Bergen dropped a theory about Howard that is going to make a lot of Steelers fans stop and think.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers' second-year quarterback Will Howard getting some reps in at Organized Team Activities.
Bergen was asked about what he knows versus what he thinks he knows heading into training camp, and his answer about Howard was anything but ordinary.
"My theory is that the Steelers are really pushing Will Howard as QB2 for the fact that they want to raise his profile potentially for a trade, because I don't envision a world where they keep all four quarterbacks on the roster. So that's my theory of what's going on at quarterback. Whether it's Howard or Mason Rudolph, I don't see them trading Drew Allar just because they just drafted Drew Allar. So my theory is that they're trying to raise the stock of Will Howard potentially to get back more in a trade, which is why you hear about how great he's looked and how he's going to be quarterback two. And the Steelers are going to give him every opportunity to do that in hopes that they raise his trade stock."
Bergen is not just throwing darts here. His logic is sound. The Steelers have four quarterbacks on the roster in Rodgers, Howard, Allar, and Mason Rudolph, and keeping all four when the regular season begins would be tough. Allar is almost untouchable as a third-round pick that Mike McCarthy hand-selected. Rudolph is the veteran insurance policy. That leaves Howard as the most movable piece, and Bergen's theory is that all the positive buzz surrounding him this offseason is not organic enthusiasm, but rather a calculated effort to drive up his trade value before the deadline hits.
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Steelers QB Will Howard during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
As SteelerNation previously covered, the future of Pittsburgh's quarterback room beyond Rodgers remains one of the most talked-about storylines heading into the 2026 season, and Bergen's theory only adds another layer to an already fascinating situation.
The theory makes even more sense when you consider the timing. Howard has been all over the Steelers' media availability this offseason, looking sharp and drawing praise from the coaching staff at every turn. Bergen pointed out that he does not believe any of it and that the whole situation has the feel of a dog and pony show designed to make him look as attractive as possible to other teams. McCarthy has spoken glowingly about Howard repeatedly, but Bergen's point is that actions speak louder than words, and drafting Allar in the third round spoke very loudly about where the organization's priorities actually lie for the future.
Steelers' QB Room Could Look Very Different Come August
None of this means Howard is a bad quarterback. Bergen made clear he has nothing against Howard as a player and that he could absolutely be a starter somewhere in this league. The problem in Pittsburgh is simply one of roster math and organizational vision. McCarthy invested a significant draft pick in Allar, and it is hard to imagine a scenario where the coaching staff genuinely commits to developing both young quarterbacks at the same time with a Super Bowl contending roster around them. Something has to give, and Bergen's bet is that Howard is the one who ends up elsewhere.
Steelers.com
Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy with his four quarterbacks during the 2026 offseason.
Training camp in Latrobe, PA will go a long way toward settling this debate. If Howard continues to impress and the Steelers can find a trade partner willing to give up meaningful compensation, Bergen's theory could play out exactly as he described. If not, the Steelers will face a tough decision before the regular season begins about how to handle one of the more interesting quarterback situations in the entire NFL.
What do you think about Bergen's theory on Will Howard heading into 2026?
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