Steelers' Will Howard Is Likely Doomed As Fan-Favorite Faces An Uphill Battle

The Pittsburgh Steelers have one of the most talked-about quarterback situations in the NFL, which is a bit bizarre considering the starting quarterback is set in stone. Aaron Rodgers re-signing with the organization on a one-year deal eliminated some questions for the franchise as he is returning to be the starter, and he has already announced that he will be retiring after the 2026 season. Rodgers being the starter should surprise no one, but the fan base is still looking for some clarity when it comes to how the rest of the quarterback room is going to shape up.

Aside from Rodgers, the quarterback room is occupied by Will Howard, Mason Rudolph, and Drew Allar. Allar is a rookie who was recently a third-round pick, and he is the only other quarterback aside from Rodgers that should be considered a "lock" to make the final roster. He won't see the field, but he will be on the roster. Howard and Rudolph seem to be battling for the top backup spot behind Rodgers, and there is a chance that the loser of that battle would be stashed on the practice squad or cut completely.

Howard can be considered a fan-favorite. He has never seen the field, but there is a lot of hope that he can turn into a capable starter, and that hope is fueled by some of the offseason comments from Head Coach Mike McCarthy. He has a lot of hype behind him, but there are fans who think veteran Mason Rudolph is a more capable backup. Beat writer Mark Kaboly appeared on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday, and he believes Rudolph is the clear choice.

"I still think the whole offseason, 'I really like Will Howard' stuff was a little premature," Kaboly said. "I don't even know that if he has a flawless camp you keep him, because they put so much into this year and I'm just not willing, or the organization should not be willing to just go with a guy, a sixth-round pick, 185th overall, who has no career snaps, who played well maybe against Buffalo in the final preseason game, to maybe get us through a week or two when my 42-year-old quarterback has a toe injury."

The insider thinks the hype behind Howard is a little forced considering he has not seen the field during a professional game yet. He missed the entire preseason in his rookie year in 2025 due to a hand injury, so he lacks the experience that Rudolph can provide.

Kaboly has been pretty firm in saying that he would want Rudolph to be the backup, but he has also been consistent in saying he hopes the Steelers can find a way to keep four quarterbacks. He does not want to see Howard cut, but he doesn't think it makes much sense to have a backup with zero experience behind a 42-year-old starter.

"They're gonna have to make a hard decision on Will Howard here, and I think they'll try to get him on the practice squad," Kaboly said. "I would not try to dump Will Howard."

The only issue with keeping Howard on the practice squad is that another team can come in and steal him at any point. The decision to not put him on the active roster would carry some major risk, but it might be one of the only options the team has if he cannot win the backup job.

Steelers Fans Have Seen Enough From Mason Rudolph

Having an experienced backup is important, but it is not like Rudolph is one of the backup quarterbacks across the league who could compete for a starting job. He had a good run at the end of the 2023 season, but since then he has been a failed starter for the Tennessee Titans and he went 0-1 in his lone start for the Steelers in 2025. It was a winnable game against the Chicago Bears, Rudolph just did not play well enough. It is time for the organization to move on from Rudolph if it decides to keep just three quarterbacks.

What do you think about Kaboly's comments? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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