At the quarterback position, Aaron Rodgers is clearly Plan A for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But he’s still deciding whether he wants to come back for another season. One that would see him turn 43 toward the end of it. Speaking at the scouting combine Tuesday, Steelers GM Omar Khan stressed the Steelers’ patience with Rodgers.
While returning to Pittsburgh does make sense, at his age, it wouldn’t be shocking if he retired. Although that would force the Steelers to look into a backup plan at the game’s most important position, Khan still feels confident in the team’s options if Rodgers does retire. Specifically, Will Howard.
“I wouldn’t necessarily classify it as a worst-case scenario. We think highly of Will [Howard]. We think he’s an arrow player, and there’s a lot to like there. The fact that coach McCarthy came in here, and part of the interview process, we talked about it. And he talked about his excitement and some of the things he liked about Will. He thinks he’s got a chance to develop and be a good football player,” Khan said Tuesday, sitting down with Bryant McFadden via the NFL on CBS YouTube channel.
Khan mentions Mike McCarthy’s affinity for Will Howard. McCarthy was quick to share his appreciation for the sixth-round pick as soon as he took the Steelers’ job. Khan and McCarthy each have had nothing but positive things to say about Howard, who many believe deserves a shot as the starter at some point.
Of course, the Steelers’ brass isn’t going to do anything but praise their players to the media. And if the Steelers had another quarterback in mind, whether it be free agency or the trade market, Khan certainly wouldn’t go tell the world about it.
But Khan mentioning Howard as the silver lining if Rodgers retires is notable. The Steelers have had praise for Howard all offseason, with no shortage of it during Khan’s Tuesday media tour. Even if Rodgers does come back, that provides another year of development for Howard under a veteran with whom he’s already formed a good relationship.
Yet Rodgers is still clearly the first plan in Pittsburgh’s mind. It makes sense given the current quarterback landscape. Rodgers did win 10 games and the division last year. If the Steelers can put more talent around him, they might be capable of reaching a higher level under Rodgers in 2026.
Speaking Tuesday, Khan mentioned that the Steelers don’t have a deadline for an answer from Rodgers. However, he also doesn’t expect the wait to be as long as it was last offseason. It seems the Steelers will find their answer at quarterback sooner rather than later.
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