Steelers' Will Howard Addresses Intense Quarterback Battle Ahead Of NFL Debut

The Pittsburgh Steelers begin their 2026 preseason on Thursday night as the team will be taking on the Green Bay Packers in Pittsburgh. It is still unclear who exactly will be playing in the contest, but it is fair to assume that the fan base is going to be paying the most attention to the quarterbacks. Aaron Rodgers is the clear starter and the coaching staff seems to still be deciding if he will take the field, while most fans want to keep him healthy on the sideline. Mason Rudolph is expected to take some snaps, but the real show is going to come from young quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar.

The current landscape of the quarterback room is Rodgers being the obvious starter, while Rudolph leads the way in the competition to be his primary backup. Howard is also competing for the backup role, while it seems like the 2026 season is going to be a developmental redshirt year for Allar. There is some speculation that whoever loses the backup job could be cut or traded, which makes the preseason games so important. It will also be cool to see Howard take the field as he has not played in an actual football game since winning the National Championship at the end of the 2024 college football season.

Howard suffered a hand injury near the start of training camp in 2025 and he was forced to miss all three preseason games. He has not seen the field in the NFL, but that all changes on Thursday night. He spoke to the media on Monday and addressed the fact that this is a game that will measure his skill set.

"Yeah, absolutely. I think that's one of the biggest measuring tapes is the preseason reps," Howard said. "Camp is great. Going against the ones and the twos is great, but you know, getting out there in a live setting and a real football game, I think is just different. It is at the college level and it is at this level, and I still haven't seen it. I'm excited to get out there and experience it. I know everyone says preseason isn't real football, but to me it is."

The odds are stacked against Howard in the battle for the backup job. Rudolph has plenty of starting experience in the NFL, and that is something that is going to be valued while the starter is 42 years old. Howard will need to string together good practices, while also finding a way to outperform Rudolph on the field during the preseason.

There have been some mixed reports when it comes to how Howard has looked so far in training camp practices. It seems like he has had bad days and good days, which is something he will have to clean up. Consistency is key from a backup quarterback as the player needs to be reliable to go out onto the field at any moment. 

Steelers' QB Battle Is For More Than A 2026 Job

The only two quarterbacks under contract in Pittsburgh for the 2027 season are Howard and Allar. Therefore, those two could prove they should be considered for the starting job based on how they look in the preseason games and throughout the remainder of training camp. Obviously, if Howard gets cut, or he loses the backup job, his name could be out of the running -- barring him being brought back on the practice squad, or in some other way during the 2027 offseason. Drafting a quarterback in 2027 is also an option, but a lot of fans would like to see Allar and Howard duke it out for the starting gig in 2027.

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