Steelers' Mike McCarthy Has Now Created A Problem For QB Will Howard

The Pittsburgh Steelers have quite an interesting situation brewing at several positions on the roster now that Mike McCarthy is leading the franchise as just its fourth head coach since 1969. While plenty of attention is understandably focused on McCarthy, the quarterback situation remains one of the biggest storylines surrounding the team.

It's well known that Aaron Rodgers is in the Steel City to reunite with McCarthy for what is expected to be one final ride. After the 2026 season, Rodgers is expected to hang up his cleats, which means General Manager Omar Khan will once again be tasked with finding the long-term answer at quarterback.

Steelers fans have grown tired of the veteran stopgap approach and are hopeful the organization will finally have a clear answer for 2027 and beyond. Pittsburgh currently has sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-round pick Drew Allar in the quarterback room. Neither player necessarily inspires complete confidence as a future franchise quarterback at this stage, but both possess intriguing potential. If McCarthy can strike gold and successfully develop one of them, or even both, the Steelers could finally solve their biggest question mark.

It may be a long shot, but NFL insider Aditi Kinkhabwala recently echoed a sentiment that McCarthy may have actually created a very legitimate problem for Howard and the Steelers. Kinkhabwala discussed the situation while appearing on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday afternoon.

"Because he is not your average sixth-round pick," Kinkhabwala said while discussing Howard. "It's also because of all the hoopla that Mike McCarthy himself has created around him."

The Steelers also have veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph, who is expected to serve as Rodgers' primary backup during the 2026 season. Many believe Rudolph is a necessary piece to keep around because of Rodgers' age and the injury concerns that naturally come with a quarterback at this stage of his career.

However, Kinkhabwala believes it would make far more sense for Pittsburgh to move on from Rudolph and give Howard the opportunity to be the primary backup. In her view, that would provide the Steelers with a much better understanding of what they have in the young quarterback before making future decisions at the position.

"I think if [Howard] does end up on your practice squad, then that's far more telling of what his potential and capabilities are," Kinkhabwala said.

The real tell, according to Kinkhabwala, will be whether Howard makes the active roster or ends up on the practice squad. If Howard lands on the practice squad, it would suggest the Steelers don't view him as close to being ready, despite all the praise and excitement that has surrounded him since arriving in Pittsburgh. 

In that scenario, Kinkhabwala would likely lean much more toward the idea that the McCarthy-Howard hype was ultimately just that, hype.

Steelers Face Tough Decision With Will Howard's Development

The Steelers find themselves in a difficult spot when it comes to Howard, Allar, and the future of the quarterback position. Whether it's truly a problem depends on how you view the situation, but there is a legitimate concern brewing.

McCarthy spent much of the offseason publicly praising Howard and building excitement around the young quarterback. Because of that, placing Howard on the practice squad would come with significant risk. If the Steelers were to expose him to waivers, there's a strong chance a quarterback-needy team could see enough potential to claim him before he ever made it to Pittsburgh's practice squad.

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