Will Howard
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Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch challenged Will Howard to go win the team's starting job for 2026.
Future Hall of Fame quarterback Aaron Rodgers remains unsigned in the 2026 NFL offseason. That has left many pundits and Pittsburgh Steelers fans antsy about the team’s quarterback situation. But it’s a potential golden opportunity for second-year player Will Howard.
Former Steelers quarterback and media personality Charlie Batch sees it that way for Howard. Without Rodgers on the roster, Batch challenged the young quarterback on his podcast to go show he deserves to start behind center in 2026.
“Right now, Aaron [Rodgers] is a free agent,” Batch said on “The Snap Count” podcast on Tuesday. “Prove that his is your job.
“Go out there and take it.”
The Snap Count
“Prove that this is your job. Go out there and take it.” 🫵 @CharlieBatch16 believes this system gives Will Howard the perfect shot at QB1 👀 Do you roll with him? #HereWeGo
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With Rodgers remaining in free agency, Howard and veteran Mason Rudolph are the two quarterbacks on Pittsburgh’s offseason roster.
Could Will Howard Start if the Steelers Don’t Re-Sign Aaron Rodgers?
Aaron Rodgers Will Howard
GettyWill Howard could compete for the starting quarterback job with the Pittsburgh Steelers if the team is unable to re-sign Aaron Rodgers.
The possibility the Steelers start Howard if Rodgers doesn’t return is difficult to gauge. New head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan have repeatedly hyped the 2025 sixth-rounder quarterback’s potential this offseason.
“People get caught up on what round he went in. If I was drafting players that year, he wouldn’t have been around in the fifth or sixth round. I valued him higher than that based off Kansas State… man, I thought he jumped out of the TV set during the college playoffs,” said McCarthy, via TribLive.com’s Chris Adamski.
But Howard has no NFL experience. Because of a hand injury last August, he didn’t even play in the preseason as a rookie.
Some Steelers fans have argued a fresh start with Howard behind center could be beneficial for the franchise. It would be a “sink or swim” type situation, with the Steelers either finding their future quarterback or suffering a losing season, putting them in position to draft a signal-caller early next year.
But Steelers president Art Rooney II has often balked publicly on not trying to put the best team together every year to be competitive.
It’s hard to argue starting Howard would be the best option for the 2026 Steelers.
That could change, though, if the quarterback proves through the offseason and training camp that he deserves the opportunity.
Until Rodgers signs or the Steelers add another quarterback, that possibility exists in Pittsburgh.
Howard Faces Obstacle to Starting for Steelers in 2026
Will Howard
GettyFormer Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch challenged Will Howard to go win the team’s starting job for 2026.
In his last football game, Howard led Ohio State to a national championship.
Obviously, that was in college. Howard’s lack of NFL experience makes him a bit of a long shot to start in 2026.
Batch argued, though, the lack of NFL game snaps might not even be the biggest issue Howard faces this offseason.
“He is playing catch-up. Because everything that he learned last year is not the same this year,” Batch said on his podcast. “So, he can’t even go back and look at offseason tape and look at somebody else running this particular system.
“Because that was not happening here.”
With that in mind, Howard is essentially starting from square one this offseason. He has no NFL game repetitions and zero experience with the Steelers new playbook.
The good news, though, is McCarthy is a more proven quarterback developer than previous head coach Mike Tomlin or offensive coordinator Arthur Smith. He also has any professional knowledge he learned watching Rodgers play for a full season last year.
Despite his lack of experience and familiarity with the playbook, Batch still challenged Howard to go prove he can start for the Steelers next season.