The assumption all along has been that if Aaron Rodgers doesn't return to the [Pittsburgh Steelers](https://www.sportingnews.com/us/nfl/pittsburgh-steelers), the team would sign or trade for a veteran quarterback.
But it appears we might need to adjust our thinking.
According to [Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette](https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/steelers/2026/03/11/nfl-free-agency-trades-steelers-michael-pittman-rico-dowdle/stories/202603110051), the contingency plan in the event that Rodgers retires or chooses to play somewhere else in 2026 isn't a veteran quarterback.
Instead, it's Will Howard.
“He is going to get a shot. Their plan, as I stated earlier, is to go all-in on working with him and see what they have," Dulac said of Howard.
That would certainly be a surprising decision.
Granted, the Steelers do need to see what they have in Howard, who is the only semblance of hope for the future at quarterback, but this is also a veteran roster designed to try and compete now.
Handing the keys to a total wild card, or even to a backup like Mason Rudolph, for that matter, amounts to quite the gamble.
All that said, Dulac added that the Steelers are confident Rodgers will return and will not opt to play somewhere else, so we may not even get a chance to see Howard playing in 2026, outside of preseason action.
"I think the Steelers are feeling confident Rodgers will return. They also are very confident he will return only to them, not another team," Dulac said.
As far as when Rodgers will officially announce his decision, that remains to be seen. But we continue to believe he's going to run it back in Pittsburgh.
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