Insider: Steelers Made A Huge Late-Season Realization About Will Howard

The Pittsburgh Steelers enter the 2026 season with one of the most intriguing quarterback situations in the league, blending a future Hall of Fame veteran with two young developmental prospects and a seasoned backup. After a long offseason filled with speculation, Aaron Rodgers has officially informed the team that he will join the roster for what he has confirmed will be his final NFL season. His arrival immediately reshapes the depth chart and raises the stakes in Pittsburgh’s quarterback room. Behind him sit 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, 2026 third-round selection Drew Allar, and veteran Mason Rudolph, creating a competitive and layered mix of experience and youth. 

Now under Head Coach Mike McCarthy, the Steelers are navigating a transition period that carries significant weight for both the present and the future of the franchise. The situation is even more compelling given the organizational overlap in scouting and drafting philosophies. Mike Tomlin was responsible for bringing in Howard, while McCarthy had direct input on selecting Allar, adding another dimension to how the team evaluates its young quarterbacks. With Tomlin no longer in the building, questions have naturally emerged about how Howard’s development will be prioritized and what his long-term future in Pittsburgh truly looks like. 

Even so, early indications suggest that Howard will still be given meaningful opportunities to grow behind Rodgers again in the 2026 season, especially as the Steelers look to balance immediate contention with long-term planning at the position. According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora in a recent FanSided report, the Steelers remained extremely high on Howard’s potential, particularly as the 2025 season progressed toward its conclusion. 

"The Steelers felt like Howard became comfortable in his own skin last year, and through his practice reps, there was a growing sense that everything was slowing down for him, and he was becoming increasingly game-ready," Canfora said. 

That internal optimism is notable given the limited on-field evaluation Pittsburgh was able to get from the young quarterback. Howard did not return to practicing until around Week 8 after suffering an injury early in training camp, which significantly delayed his development and prevented him from building momentum during the most important evaluation periods of the preseason. 

Had he remained healthy, he likely would have seen extended preseason action and been given additional opportunities to showcase his readiness in live game situations. Instead, the injury effectively stalled his progression and left the coaching staff and front office working with a smaller sample size than expected.

Steelers' McCarthy Should Be Able To Strike Gold With Howard And/Or Allar

As a result, Steelers fans never got a true preseason look at Howard, which has only added to the uncertainty surrounding his trajectory heading into 2026. Despite that, internal evaluations reportedly remained strong, with team sources still viewing him as a player who made noticeable strides once he returned to practice later in the year. The belief within the organization appears to be that his development did not stagnate as much as the timeline might suggest, and that the foundational progress he made was still evident even in a limited window.

McCarthy has a strong track record developing quarterbacks and now leads a room with Rodgers, Allar, and Howard. With Rodgers only expected to play in 2026, McCarthy is expected to develop one of the young passers into Pittsburgh’s long-term starter by 2027. For now, Rudolph finds himself sitting comfortably in the backup role. 

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