Will Howard's Future With The Steelers Is Likely Not What Many Expected As 4 QBs Is Unsustainable

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the hot topics of the 2026 offseason. A lot of that had to do with the sudden coaching change paired with another stretched out pursuit of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The four-time league MVP eventually signed with the franchise, and the organization then drafted Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The topic of discussion quickly changed to whether or not the Steelers would consider keeping four quarterbacks on the final 53-man roster. The franchise did indeed keep all four quarterbacks as it trimmed the roster down on Sunday, but now fans want to know how long all four quarterbacks will stay on the roster.

Just because the final 53-man roster was announced does not mean it won't be tinkered with constantly. An injury to a player could happen that would force the team to go out and sign a free agent at a certain spot, which then requires someone to be released to clear a spot on the roster. A quarterback can be released and moved to the practice squad if they clear waivers, or a quarterback could be traded if a quarterback-needy team appears and is interested in doing business via trade.

The two quarterbacks that are going to stay on the roster no matter what are Rodgers and Allar, while Mason Rudolph and Will Howard can still be moved in some way. Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo was asked about whether or not the team will keep four quarterbacks throughout the entire season during a recent chat for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

"So hard to predict because injuries will factor in," Fittipaldo wrote. "I'm guessing no, but I think if everything goes perfect, they want to keep Howard on all season."

Fittipaldo believes the organization wants to be able to keep all four quarterbacks on the roster throughout the 2026 season, but that probably isn't a reality. Injuries happen and cannot be controlled, and winning games in the present is always going to be a priority for the Steelers. A fourth quarterback on a roster doesn't help in that regard, but filling a hole in the roster that was created by an injury does.

It is also worth noting that Howard was the quarterback mentioned by Fittipaldo in the scenario where a quarterback is moved on from. It would either be Howard or Rudolph, but it seems like the organization has no interest in moving the veteran backup quarterback. The move would probably be to waive Howard, hope he clears waivers, then bring him back on the practice squad. However, a lot can change before an opportunity like that presents itself.

The fact that it would be Howard that is waived is a little bit interesting as there were plenty of reports emerging after the roster was announced that said Howard and Allar were never at risk of losing their jobs. It was Rudolph that had to prove himself to the new coaching staff during the spring and during training camp, and he clearly was able to do that.

Steelers' Will Howard Did Not Do What He Needed To During The Preseason

Howard had an opportunity during the 2026 preseason as the coaching staff made it clear that developing the young talent on the roster was the main priority. Howard got to start the final two preseason games and play an entire half in each, but things did not go great for him. He threw three interceptions in total and struggled to move around in the pocket. He did throw two touchdowns during the preseason finale, but one was a screen and was an RPO to the tight end in the flat. 

The second-year player showed some signs of being able to push the ball down the field, but he did not do enough to overtake Rudolph as the team's top backup.

What do you think about Fittipaldo's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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