Steelers' Backup Quarterback Decision Could Absolutely Hinge On Will Howard's Preseason

While the Pittsburgh Steelers are going through their offseason program, they have plenty of exciting storylines. Some include the shuffling around the offensive line, and even the new talent in the wide receiver room. The team also has a new coaching staff and a defense that will be led under a new defensive coordinator in Patrick Graham. The quarterback room is also still a hot topic, which may be the most anticipated. There is an ongoing battle between Will Howard and Mason Rudolph, and it will likely last until the end of the preseason. 

Rudolph has been a Steelers backup quarterback since 2019, with a brief stint with the Tennessee Titans in 2024. He's gone through highs and lows, but has proved himself as a capable backup that can steady the ship if the starter goes down. Howard, on the other hand, has gained praise from the media and even Head Coach Mike McCarthy, who has often gushed over the former Ohio State Buckeyes standout. 

Though Howard has a ton of hype, he has no professional game film to back it up, which makes this preseason all the more important for him. Howard is likely going to receive the majority of the snaps in the preseason and will have to make the most of them. Insider Ray Fittipaldo of the Post-Gazette recently appeared on an episode of The North Shore Drive podcast hosted by his colleague Christopher Carter, and he mentioned just how important the three preseason games are for Howard come August.

"That second week of August, those three preseason games when he does get the bulk of the snaps with the first team offense, huge for not only his development, but really his evaluation of whether the Steelers and Mike McCarthy think he can be the backup quarterback," Fittipaldo stated. "Now, Mason Rudolph is a good fallback option; they kind of know what they have in him, he's a good guy to throw in there."

In 2023, Rudolph not only saved Christmas for Steeler Nation with a big win over the division rival Cincinnati Bengals,  but also saved their season, leading them to the playoffs after winning three straight games and playing by far the best football of his career. He then signed with the Titans, where things certainly did not go as planned. He re-signed back in Pittsburgh in 2025, and the Steelers know exactly what they have in Rudolph. His career has just about been solidified as a solid backup, but Howard hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself just yet. 

Howard won a National Championship in 2024, where he had a very nice postseason run. He was unavailable to the Steelers in the preseason this past year due to a hand injury, so there is no game film on him in a Black and Gold jersey as mentioned. He will now get a full offseason program and training camp leading up to this year's preseason, where he will get to showcase whether he is fit to be Aaron Rodgers' backup, barring another unfortunate injury.

Steelers' Howard Could Surpass Rudolph

While Howard still needs to prove himself and be properly evaluated outside of a practice field, he still very well could pass Rudolph, who is going into year nine of his career. With the Steelers already knowing Rudolph's ceiling, Howard could be the more intriguing option to the higher-ups in the organization. McCarthy also has a history of rolling with a late-round draft pick as his backup quarterback. 

In the 2008 NFL Draft, the Green Bay Packers selected two quarterbacks, Brian Brohm in the second round and Matt Flynn in the seventh round. Flynn, being a seventh-round selection, was an obvious underdog, but beat out Brohm to be the team's QB2. Rather than going with the second-round pick, McCarthy went with the late-round player, who ended up getting a nice payday with the Seattle Seahawks. We've seen McCarthy go with the late-rounder before, and he very well could do it again.

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