Aaron Rodgers Return Means Bad News for Steelers' Will Howard

Just based on the perspective of following the status quo and attempting to be the best version of themselves for the 2026 season, re-signing Aaron Rodgers was always the most sensible quarterback move for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Though Rodgers inflates the Steelers' odds of a return trip to the playoffs for a fourth year in a row, the veil of uncertainty surrounding the team's young quarterbacks isn't going to dissipate in 2026.

Seizing Drew Allar's opportunity to make a splash as a rookie who was never likely to see the field considering Pittsburgh is building him from the ground up from a mechanical standpoint is not malpractice, but Will Howard is in a different boat.

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Howard's in a Rough Spot With Steelers

Rarely does a sixth-round quarterback rustle up the magnitude of razzmatazz that Howard has in his brief stint as a Steeler up to this point.

His collegiate resume surely is at the center of that fanfare, as Howard helped lead the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national title in his lone season with the program in 2024.

Most of the reports that arose from rookie minicamp and training camp last offseason were favorable as well, and it appeared as though Howard was on the fast track to being championed as Rodgers' successor and Pittsburgh's next franchise signal caller.

A freak hand injury he sustained on a center exchange during training camp wiped out his entire preseason and landed him on the reserve/injured list up until Week 11, though, essentially rendering his rookie campaign a wash.

Immediately upon Mike McCarthy being hired as the Steelers' head coach a week-and-a-half after Mike Tomlin stepped down back in January, he spouted loads of positive rhetoric about Howard.

"I'm really excited about Will Howard, I think he's someone that I thought he really came on there at Ohio State," McCarthy said during his introductory press conference. "I'm anxious to work with him."

Howard split first-team reps with Mason Rudolph during voluntary minicamp just ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft, and while Rodgers' return was always looming ahead, the 24-year-old seemed like he was getting every chance in the world to set himself apart and prove that he could one day take the reins.

Now that Allar, a third-round pick, is in the fold and was hand-picked by McCarthy, Howard has more or less become the forgotten man between the pair.

Add in the fact that Rodgers is back in town, and Howard has no path to playing time this season. Sure, he's going to take plenty of reps during the preseason, but even a strong performance likely won't be enough to sway the Steelers' minds in terms of his future with the organization.

In a best-case scenario for Howard, he'll continue to develop throughout the season while serving as Rodgers' backup before battling for the starting job with Allar and potentially a rookie in 2027.

The reality of the situation, however, is that it's tough to project a long-term stay in Pittsburgh for Howard. 2026 was his real, and maybe only, shot to be QB1. Rodgers will prevent him from taking that step, and with the team potentially looking to take a signal caller early in next year's draft coupled with Allar's presence, he is quickly becoming the odd man out.

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