Steelers Ruin Will Howard If They Do This

The Pittsburgh Steelers cannot mess this up. But they will if they pull this stunt.

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 | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers know their quarterback in 2026. They have no concerns about Aaron Rodgers, have no dier outlook that their season is going to be a disaster, and even if it turns out to be, there's one thing that's almost certain - Rodgers isn't getting benched.

He can't. And while half of the reasoning is the respect factor to give the 42-year-old his final year in the NFL, the other half is to protect Will Howard and any opportunity the team plans to give him as a starting quarterback.

Where this all started was ESPN's Mina Kimes suggesting that the Steelers fanbase would force the team to bench Rodgers later in the season for Howard.

"The Steelers in November to December, go Eagles, Broncos, Texans," Kimes said on the Bill Barnwll podcast. "And I think that's when Rodgers... I think that the fans are gonna be really unhappy with the offensive output in those games.

"This is based on me doing a live pod in Pittsburgh, and we surveyed the crowd and they were all begging for Will Howard."

Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Benching Rodgers doesn't seem likely at all. Even if the Steelers were to suffer an early-season collapse, they spent months trying to convince Rodgers to come back. They wouldn't bench him as thanks for doing so.

But again, that's not the only reason - and maybe not the most important reason - why they wouldn't/shouldn't bench the future Hall of Famer.

Here's Why

Head coach Mike McCarthy has said numerous times throughout the offseason that he believes in Will Howard. He's even went as far as to say that Howard has the potential to be a starting quarterback in the NFL.

If the team and the head coach truly believe in Howard, and plan to give him an opportunity to prove himself as the starter one day, they can't rush it. The midst of a Broncos, Eagles, Texans run might be the absolute worst time to put in a player with no regular season experience and see what he's got. Especially if the offense is already struggling.

Killing Howard's confidence is one thing, but what the Steelers would do is completely ruin any support he has from the team or the fanbase. And unless it's crystal clear that Rodgers is the problem with the offense, it's hard to imagine that a second-year sixth-round pick is going to turn things around when Rodgers can't.

All opportunity in the future goes away if Howard steps on the field and doesn't play well this season. So, the Steelers need to be smart about when they give him those chances.

Sometimes, tossing a player into the fire works. Sometimes, it ruins their career. And if sure feels like Rodgers being benched for Howard this season would be a fire the fan favorite wouldn't be able to put out. And from there, it's on to Drew Allar and whatever other QBs the Steelers bring in next offseason.

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