Steelers Release First Depth Chart: Will Howard Above Drew Allar

The Pittsburgh Steelers have released their first preseason depth chart a week into training camp, and it includes an interesting sign on where the quarterback race stands.

Will Howard, who is still fighting for the backup job with Mason Rudolph, is listed as the third-team quarterback ahead of rookie third-round pick Drew Allar.

Steelers just released their first preseason depth chart.

- Will Howard listed ahead of Drew Allar
- Broderick Jones listed 2nd team LT
- Dylan Cook 1st team RT, Max Iheanachor 2nd pic.twitter.com/lsyxEvrPLu
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 5, 2026

The fact that Howard is slotted in ahead of Allar isn’t a huge surprise, as the expectation leading into training camp was that the latter would use the 2026 campaign as a sort of redshirt year where he’d work on ironing out the issues in his game before pushing for a larger role in 2027, perhaps next to a rookie.

By most accounts, however, Howard has been outperformed by Allar throughout the Steelers’ stay in Latrobe up to this point, which could eventually lead to some interesting conversations down the line.

Howard Must Step Up, and Soon

Allar isn’t close to being a finished product, and there are going to be bumps in the road as he continues to develop and progress in Mike McCarthy’s offense.

He’s made some clear strides during his time in Pittsburgh up to this point though, and it’s hard to ignore his electric arm talent.

Allar’s made a number of impressive throws at Saint Vincent College, and he’ll have more opportunities to show off once the preseason begins next week.

That’s when the test will get tougher, both for him and Howard, the latter of whom has not taken a single snap against an opposing defense as a professional up to this point.

A sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, Howard suffered a hand injury during training camp last year that landed him on the reserve/injured list through Week 11.

Aug 03, 2026; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) throws a pass during a practice session at Training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

He never got into a regular season game as a rookie, leaving him in a tough spot from a developmental perspective heading into 2026.

Pittsburgh’s new coaching staff has appeared impressed by Howard, however, and while Rudolph has the leg-up in the competition, the former can’t be counted out as the younger option with more upside and an extra two years under contract.

On the flip side, Howard needs to turn in some convincing performances both in practice and camp if he’s going to convince the Steelers that he’s worth keeping around.

He might be ahead of Allar on the pecking order right now, but that’s not necessarily guaranteed to remain the case if he doesn’t step up.

Howard hasn’t downright struggled, though there’s room for improvement. The same can be said in Allar’s case, with the stark difference being that not as much was expected out of him in comparison to Howard, and a strong argument could be made that he’s looked like the better of Pittsburgh’s two young signal callers.

There’s still a long way to go, and position battles can prove to be volatile this time of year. With that said, Howard can’t give up any more ground and must find a way to make progress.

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