Will Howard, Drew Allar Can Send Aaron Rodgers Into Retirement

The Pittsburgh Steelers get an opportunity to evaluate their young talent after the Aaron Rodgers news.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) drops back in the pocket during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Nov 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) warms up before a game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on after being sacked during the first half of the NFL Wild Card game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on January 12, 2026.

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers just placed a pretty rare tender on quarterback Aaron Rodgers, making the details of a future signing known, but making the future even more cloudy for the black and gold.

The Steelers placed a UFA Tender on Rodgers, giving him a 10% raise if he chooses to sign for 2026. However, Rodgers cannot sign the tender until training camp, leaving the door open for anything to happen at quarterback in Pittsburgh over the next two-and-a-half months.

The details of the tender are complicated. It means the Steelers have the first right of refusal for another team that offers him a contract. If he does not sign with another team before July 22, when the Steelers are expected to open training camp, his rights to them become exclusive.

Couple things ...

• Obviously, this gives the Steelers control, with the matching rights.

• It allows for Pittsburgh to get a comp pick for him if he leaves.

• It makes it so if Rodgers wants to return in-season with another team, Steelers would have to sign and trade him. https://t.co/vJyRiP2LKk

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 28, 2026

Outside of the contract details, though, it opens the door for uncertainty at quarterback. And really, it opens the door for two young passers to showcase themselves to the Steelers and maybe end Rodgers' time in Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh Steelers

For the remainder of OTAs and minicamp, the Steelers will operate with Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph as their quarterbacks. Howard will likely get plenty of first-team reps, but Allar isn't going to be pulled back from any opportunity, either.

This gives the Steelers a chance to evaluate both young quarterbacks before Rodgers makes a decision. The team hopes Allar has the tools to carry the same baseline as Howard heading into his rookie season. If that's the case, these two essentially have a position battle for the future starting job while Rodgers waits. It might mean one of them looks good enough to force the team's hand on Rodgers before training camp.

If Howard or Allar look like the star Pittsburgh hopes they can be, the Steelers could choose to begin their run with a younger quarterback now.

All it'll take is Howard or Allar looking like they're ready to go. The Steelers want to keep their Super Bowl window open, but they also know finding a franchise quarterback is the biggest step in their future.

Maybe they have that franchise quarterback now. They get four weeks of practice to find that out with Allar or Howard practicing with the first-team offense.

The assumption is that Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh this season. When was always the bigger question. Now, we know. But what that means for the younger options in the meantime is that they get the opportunity many fans hoped they would between now and July.

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