Steelers' Optimistic View Of Will Howard Doesn't Tell The Full Story

The Pittsburgh Steelers' new head coach, Mike McCarthy, is desperately trying to figure out his quarterback situation, not just for the 2026 season, but beyond. It's no secret at this point that Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers' 2025 starting quarterback, is 42 years old and he will be 43 years old during the 2026 season. Still, there are rumblings that Rodgers is going to sign and be the Steelers' quarterback once again for the 2026 season, though until it happens and it comes directly from Rodgers' mouth, no one is going to fully believe it. Steeler Nation is also adding to the uncertainty as fans continue to worry about what is coming next at the most important position in football.

Steelers GM Omar Khan and McCarthy drafted Drew Allar out of Penn State 76th overall in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. He joins a quarterback room that already includes Mason Rudolph and Will Howard while everyone around the team waits on Rodgers’ decision. Obviously, if Rodgers returns, he will be the starter, but in the meantime Howard and Allar suddenly find themselves in an interesting situation as the organization tries to figure out who might actually develop into the future of the franchise.

McCarthy has been publicly confident in Howard, but NFL insider Albert Breer recently joined The Rich Eisen Show to suggest that Pittsburgh’s optimism might not tell the full story. While the Steelers do like what they see in Howard, Breer explained that teams often balance optimism with action, pointing out that investing another draft pick at the position signals they are not fully locked in on any single option yet. In other words, the Steelers may believe in Howard’s potential, but that does not necessarily mean they are convinced he is the long-term answer.

"Look, do I think they would be comfortable putting Will Howard in a game right now? Yeah, I do. Does that mean that the Steelers are going to use Will Howard as their QB for the next 10 years? No, it doesn’t," Breer said while speaking to Eisen on Thursday.

The Steelers drafted Allar in the third round and Howard in the sixth round a year earlier. Naturally, many may perceive Allar as having the higher ceiling based on draft position alone. 

Breer believes two things can be true at the same time. The Steelers, McCarthy, and the front office do like what they have in Howard, but they are not confident or optimistic enough to avoid keeping their options open at the position. 

"Look, I think too often we make these things yes or no things, where it’s like you can be optimistic about a guy, but that doesn’t mean anything. Look, if Will Howard was their future, they probably wouldn’t be spending a third-round pick on Drew Allar, right? So you can believe that a guy has promise and be optimistic about his future and still understand, like we have to put resources into this position. I think they feel good about Will Howard. However, I don’t think anyone is convinced that he is the successor to Ben Roethlisberger there."

Steelers Still Wait For Clarity At QB

Steelers fans are still waiting for clarity at quarterback, and that uncertainty is not going away anytime soon. Between Rodgers’ decision, the young additions, and the internal evaluation of Howard, Pittsburgh is juggling more questions than answers. 

For now, the Steelers are keeping every option open, and the real direction of the position is still very much up in the air.

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