The Pittsburgh Steelers just wrapped up an exciting 2026 NFL Draft, one that had Steeler Nation fully engaged as Pittsburgh hosted the event for the first time ever, setting new NFL Draft attendance records. The energy in the city was unmistakable, but the focus quickly shifted to the newest additions to the roster. The Steelers selected 10 rookies in this draft thanks to their abundance of capital.
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Steelers quarterback Drew Allar walks out on stage during the third day of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
One of the most talked-about selections was quarterback Drew Allar, who went 76th overall to the Steelers. The Penn State standout was once considered a generational quarterback prospect, but after a down 2025 college season and a season-ending injury, his draft stock slid significantly. Still, landing him in the third round is widely viewed as strong value, even if questions remain about his NFL readiness.
The Steelers also already have a young quarterback in Will Howard, a sixth-round pick from the 2025 NFL Draft. With both players now in the mix, discussion around the future of the position is heating up, especially as Pittsburgh continues to await a final decision on whether Aaron Rodgers will be their starter for the 2026 season. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac recently appeared on the Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show, offering insight into how the team views its young quarterbacks and where they stand heading into the season.
"Well, I mean, we will find out about Will Howard, but I don’t think there is any question they still want to take a look at him," Dulac said while speaking on Randy Baumann and the DVE Morning Show. "You know, the feeling was they were only going to take a QB if they think he has higher upside than Will Howard. Well, apparently they think that with Drew Allar."
This is very eye-opening because while Rodgers is still not officially on the roster, Mason Rudolph and Howard were expected to battle for the starting job. However, no one truly expected either of those two options to be taken all that seriously as the long-term answer. Now, with Allar in the mix, it is not expected that he will start right away, but he will certainly compete and get opportunities for reps.
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Former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar prepares to throw a football as he warms up prior to the team competing in a collegiate football event.
Rodgers is only expected to be in Pittsburgh for one more season should he return for 2026, which makes the future of the position even more important. The Steelers need to figure out who their long-term answer will be at quarterback. Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy has been very candid about his belief in Howard.
Although he was not the one who drafted Howard, he likes him a lot and is not going to overlook him simply because he was a sixth-round pick. Still, using a third-round pick on Allar, according to Dulac, strongly suggests Pittsburgh views Allar as a more serious long-term quarterback solution moving forward.
Steelers Find Themselves With An Interesting QB Room
The Steelers suddenly find themselves with one of the more interesting quarterback rooms in the league, not because of certainty, but because of how wide open everything still is. Rodgers, if he returns, is really just a short-term solution, and that puts added pressure on the team to evaluate what they already have in Howard and what they just invested in Allar. Every rep in camp is going to matter more than usual, because this is not just about 2026, it is about what comes after.
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Steelers QB Will Howard during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
At the same time, the internal competition is going to be real even if the depth chart does not show it that way right away. Howard has the trust of the coaching staff and has already been developing within the system, while Allar brings the higher draft pedigree and long-term upside that clearly caught the Steelers’ attention. That combination sets up a situation where nothing is settled, and Pittsburgh is going to have to make some real decisions sooner rather than later about which direction they want to commit to at quarterback.
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