Schefter: Steelers Have Belief In Will Howard As Plan B To Aaron Rodgers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the teams in the NFL that have a large question mark at the quarterback position. Aaron Rodgers served as the starter during the 2025 season, but he initially only signed a one-year deal with the team. He is still deciding whether or not he wants to continue his playing career. He could return to Pittsburgh on a similar deal, he could decide to retire, or he could play with another franchise. Pittsburgh is expected to poke around the quarterback market, but a splash at the position should not be expected from the organization.

Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh for the 2026 season still seems like a likely outcome, but Pittsburgh has to explore other options. Players like Kyler Murray or Kirk Cousins will be available, and the franchise could also look at trading for a high-level backup. On the current roster, the franchise has Will Howard and Mason Rudolph under contract for the 2026 season. Head Coach Mike McCarthy seems excited about Howard, while the new head coach has not spoken much about Rudolph. NFL insider Adam Schefter spoke about Pittsburgh's quarterback situation on Get Up on Tuesday, and he believes the team is comfortable moving forward with Howard.

"Let's just for a moment operate in a universe in which Rodgers decides that he doesn't want to come back, and I think they're hopeful and optimistic," Schefter said. "But if he doesn't, I think that where they go from there, people won't love this, but I think they believe that they have a quarterback prospect in Will Howard. It's hard to bank your whole season on a quarterback we haven't seen play in the regular season, but they believe they have something in Will Howard, and they believe Mike McCarthy's strength is developing good, young, smart quarterbacks."

McCarthy is known for his ability to develop the quarterback position, and the organization is hopeful that he can work well with Howard. This is all in the event that Rodgers either retires or signs elsewhere, and it is important to note that he had interest in playing for the Minnesota Vikings during the 2025 offseason, and the Vikings are now looking for a veteran quarterback.

It is fair to have some doubt in this plan as Howard has yet to take a professional snap outside of practice. He missed the entire preseason in 2025 due to a fluke hand injury, and he never took the field during the regular season. However, the franchise was impressed with the way he practiced and developed throughout his rookie season. 

Schefter spoke more about the young quarterback, stressing that the franchise has this opinion.

"I'm just telling you what they think," Schefter said. "It doesn't mean they wouldn't add another quarterback, but they're hoping Rodgers comes back and if he doesn't, they would then be prepared to have Will Howard and Mason Rudolph on the roster. It's the reason that I think they don't feel rushed and compelled to go out and add anybody right now."

It seems like Howard has the edge on Rudolph just based on comments from McCarthy since he has taken over the role as the head coach in Pittsburgh. He has spoken glowingly about Howard, while he has not mentioned Rudolph much at all.

Steelers Have To Do Their Due Diligence At The Quarterback Position

There is a lot of hype around Howard, but there is a chance that he is not ready to start. Pittsburgh must explore every quarterback option that could be available to the franchise if Rodgers does not decide to return to the organization. This includes free agents and trade candidates, but the 2026 NFL Draft does not seem like a place that the Steelers will be able to land a quality starter.

What do you think of Schefter's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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