Steelers Want Will Howard Motivated And That Comes With Being The QB3 To Start Camp

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been involved in one of the most unique quarterback situations in the NFL. First, the Steelers were unsure of who their starting quarterback would even be before Aaron Rodgers signed his one-year deal. Through the Rodgers drama, Pittsburgh could evaluate its quarterback depth in veteran backup Mason Rudolph and young talent in Will Howard. The QB2 race seems to be between those two, and Howard even took second-team reps in spring activities. Things changed when the front office selected Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Picking Allar just added another layer to the situation, and many believe that it's a possibility that the team could carry four quarterbacks into the 2026 regular season.

Howard being named QB2 led to some speculation that he could be in line to be the primary backup to Rodgers, despite Rudolph's veteran experience. Pittsburgh going younger in the room would make sense, especially with Rodgers' likely retirement following the 2026 season. In the first press conference of training camp, Head Coach Mike McCarthy said that Rudolph would be taking the reps with the second team, rather than what Howard did earlier in the offseason. This announcement was confusing, as it seemed like Howard could have pole position to be the backup, but now it seems he could be taking a step back. 

Howard has yet to see any NFL action in his young career outside of practice, as a finger injury derailed him from the preseason and most of the regular season in 2025. He served as the team's emergency third quarterback later in the 2025 campaign. The Athletic's Mike DeFabo appeared on 93.7 The Fan recently following the first day of training camp and revealed the possible psychology behind this decision. 

"What I think is interesting is the change from OTAs till now. If anything, I thought Mason Rudolph would've been getting those QB2 reps in OTAs, and then eventually, at some point when they felt comfortable, Will Howard would surpass him. So, maybe this is setting the stage for Will Howard and making him understand you have to actually pass Mason Rudolph," DeFabo said. 

This will be a huge test for Howard; as said before, he hasn't seen any professional action. He'll have to prove that he's worthy of keeping through his play. If he can keep up with Rudolph, that could lead to a difficult choice, but one that could favor Howard. Howard was a sixth-round pick in 2025 who won a College Football Playoff championship during his collegiate career. He was a rather raw prospect coming out, but his decision-making and wit were what stood out most. 

Now under a new head coach and staff that are known for developing signal-callers, it's the perfect time for Howard to show what he can do. Training camp will be the first step, and keeping up with Rudolph is step one. 

The next, and most important step, will be his preseason performance. Howard's composure in making the right reads against NFL-caliber defenses is where the coaching staff will get a long look at what they have in him. To back up Rodgers, the Steelers just want to make sure Howard can be composed and not turn the ball over. The explosive plays will come, but getting the basics right is what is expected of Howard at this moment in time. 

The Steelers Need To Make Sure Their Young Quarterbacks Are Getting Quality Reps

Howard missed out on these important reps with the injury last year, which hopefully did not stunt his growth. He needs to make sure he is earning the reps this go-around so he can continue to progress. The same goes for Allar, who will open training camp as the QB4, but he'll need to make sure he's proving his third-round pick status. He'll be considered an option, most likely along with Howard, to be the quarterback of the future in Pittsburgh. That only comes with putting in work early on, however.

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