The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in quite the situation as the 2026 offseason continues at the quarterback spot. Aaron Rodgers still has not decided if he is going to play football in 2026. The general thought is that if Rodgers is going to play, then he would return for one more ride in Pittsburgh to do so. Only this time under his former Head Coach Mike McCarthy.
Matt Freed / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers new Head Coach Mike McCarthy smiles as he addresses the media during his introductory press conference that took place at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
However, he still has not given any real indication, and reports are coming out that the Steelers are growing unhappy with the uncertainty, while Rodgers himself is also reportedly frustrated with the ongoing drama. No one truly knows what is going to happen, but former Steelers cornerback Joe Haden joined Kay Adams on her show Up & Adams on Wednesday to reveal he has full faith in the Steelers moving forward with Will Howard as the guy in 2026.
Haden made it clear that he believes the Steelers should take a long look at what they already have in-house rather than continuing to wait on external answers. The Steelers also added another young and exciting talent in their QB room when they drafted the former Penn State product Drew Allar 76th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft. With Howard already spending a year developing behind Rodgers, Haden sees an opportunity for the young quarterback to step into a real role and prove what he can do in the 2026 season.
"I like Will Howard," Haden said while speaking to Kay Adams on her show Wednesday. "They drafted him last year and he got to sit behind Aaron Rodgers for the whole season. Then you can see what you got. Then we know if Drew Allar has to be the next guy or if the Steelers have to go get a first-round pick and move up in 2027 and get a quarterback."
In his view, the Steelers are in a position where they need to start evaluating their internal options more seriously instead of letting uncertainty at the top of the depth chart drag on.
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Steelers QB Will Howard during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Haden believes that starts with Howard. He did make it clear that Rodgers still gives Pittsburgh their best chance to compete and win games in 2026.
"I’ve heard pretty good things about him," Haden said. "I have heard he’s a consummate professional, a big guy. When I saw him at Ohio State, he was throwing the football to Jeremiah Smith. That looked really good. It looked like it could work in the NFL to me. So I’m like just give the dude a chance. You drafted him in the sixth round, he sat behind Rodgers, he’s getting all of the knowledge, getting his feet wet. Let’s just see what you got."
The bigger picture, according to Haden, is that Pittsburgh cannot afford to stall its quarterback development plan while waiting on a decision that may not come soon. He believes Howard has already benefited from sitting and learning, and now it is time to see if that translates on the field. While the Rodgers situation continues to dominate headlines, Haden’s message was simple. The Steelers should not overlook a potential long-term answer already in the building.
Steelers Now Sitting On 2 Low-Risk, High-Upside QB Options
The Steelers find themselves in an interesting position at quarterback with two low-risk, high-upside options to evaluate. Allar was once viewed as a potential first-round pick with even generational upside, but an injury and a difficult 2025 college football season caused his stock to drop. Still, Pittsburgh may have landed strong value if he develops into the player many once projected him to be.
Matthew O'Haren / USA TODAY Sports
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.
Howard offers a similar upside swing in a different way as a 2025 sixth-round pick. While he does not carry the same early hype as Allar, the Steelers see developmental potential after time in their system. If neither player fully hits, the organization can still view both moves as worthwhile, low-risk attempts to find a long-term answer at quarterback.
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