Will Howard, Drew Allar Checklist in Steelers Preseason Opener

Both of the Pittsburgh Steelers' young quarterbacks have to prove themselves in the team's first game this preseason.

May 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) participates in OTA drills at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the Pittsburgh Steelers take the field at Acrisure Stadium for the first time this year, most of the attention will be on their two young quarterbacks.

Assuming Mason Rudolph gets the starting nod and plays a series or two to begin the Steelers' preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, Will Howard and Drew Allar will follow in his place and take a vast majority of the team's offensive reps.

With Howard expected to finish out the first half while Allar should remain out there for the entire second half per head coach Mike McCarthy's outline for the contest, there's a lot on the line for both signal callers in what's essentially their unofficial debuts for Pittsburgh.

Howard is under more pressure than Allar is considering he's battling Rudolph for the backup job and doesn't have a roster spot locked up unlike the latter, but the third-round rookie still has a good amount to prove.

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

Howard Needs a Safe, Mistake-Free Performance

After a good start to training camp, Howard turned in a couple of poor performances to finish out the second week of Pittsburgh's stay in Latrobe.

Because he's currently the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback, meaning he's behind Rudolph in the race for the backup role behind Aaron Rodgers, Howard's short-term future with the organization is a bit perilous.

Unless Pittsburgh carries four signal callers on its 53-man roster, which is at least within the realm of possibility, Howard feels like he's become the odd man out.

If he's going to close the gap against the Packers in his first live reps against an opposing defense as a pro, Howard simply can't commit a litany of mistakes.

The 24-year-old is going to have some inaccurate throws and isn't going to look perfect. That's just the nature of the beast for any young quarterback.

Setting high expectations is unfair for Howard, even if he may have to go above and beyond to make any sort of meaningful progress towards catching Rudolph.

Still, as exciting as a few long completions down the field would be for Howard, the main thing he has to prove is that he can run McCarthy's offense and keep the chains moving.

He needs to show that he can operate from the pocket, hit on most of his short and intermediate throws and perhaps turn in an explosive play or two without just airing the ball out with reckless abandon.

If Howard looks like a competent game manager against Green Bay and limits the mistakes, he'll come away from the contest as a winner regardless of the final score.

Jul 30, 2026; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) participates in training camp drills at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Back to Basics for Allar

Everyone knows the type of arm talent Allar possesses and the otherworldly throws he's capable of completing as a result.

Since he's joined the organization, however, the Penn State product has undergone a complete makeover in McCarthy's quarterback school from a mechanical and technical standpoint.

Allar's far from a finished product, and that's been evident throughout both the offseason program as well as training camp up to this point.

He has made some strides though, even if they're small. When he faces off against the Packers, all that matters for Allar is that he shows flashes of a smoother process behind center, particularly when it comes to his footwork.

The 22-year-old essentially has a checklist he has to run through on each snap considering all he's been tasked with learning, and that can be tough to keep up with.

Much like is the case with Howard, it's not going to be perfect right off the bat with Allar. Heading into a redshirt year where he'll be the last quarterback on the depth chart, however, he just needs to take it slow and show just tiny signs of improvement mechanically vs. Green Bay in order to pass his first test as a Steeler.

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