Aaron Rodgers has company: Steelers close to finalizing quarterback room for 2026
Head coach Mike McCarthy could make a stunning decision in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
This past offseason was one filled with a major shakeup for the Pittsburgh Steelers . Longtime head coach Mike Tomlin departed the team, which in turn put Aaron Rodgers ' future with the franchise in doubt as well.
In came Rodgers' former head coach, Mike McCarthy , to try to sway him into coming back. While that ultimately worked, it took until mid-May for Rodgers to make his final decision to return for one more season. By that point, though, the Steelers had covered their bases at the quarterback position.
With Will Howard on the roster heading into his sophomore season and Mason Rudolph returning for the final year of his contract, the Steelers drafted Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft . Once Rodgers confirmed his return, that left the team with four quarterbacks with starting potential on the roster.
Will Howard and Drew Allar both slated to make Steelers 53-man roster
It's very uncommon for an NFL team to play out a season with four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster . While the Steelers haven't decided just yet what they're going to do once the regular season begins, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported on Saturday that t he team is committed to rolling with both Howard and Allar on the roster going forward .
Logically, that would leave Rudolph as the odd man out . The problem is that neither Howard or Allar have any NFL experience. Going into a season with a 42-year-old Rodgers being backed up by two inexperienced quarterbacks could prove risky.
But if Allar and Howard are both going to be on the roster this season, Rudolph could very well be traded before Week 1 to a team in need of a veteran backup.
