Recently, it was announced that quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for yet another NFL season. The news came after an offseason full of speculation that the future Hall of Famer may be retiring, but instead, he will be coming back and reuniting with former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.
Still, considering Rodgers' age and injury history, there is plenty of intrigue around who will be the team's backup quarterback this year, with Will Howard, rookie Drew Allar, and veteran Mason Rudolph all on the roster.
Now, more information has come to light on how the team handled practice reps at their ongoing OTAs.
“It’s early. Very early. But on May 18, four months before the season kicks off, Will Howard took the QB2 reps behind Aaron Rodgers during the period open to the media. The rotation continued with Mason Rudolph and then Drew Allar,” reported Mike DeFabo of The Athletic on X, formerly Twitter.
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Rodgers stayed healthy throughout the 2025 season, so the backup quarterback position wasn't much of an issue for the Steelers last year, although Howard, who was drafted prior to that season after winning a national championship at Ohio State, spent most of the campaign dealing with an injury anyway.
Now, the competition between Howard, Allar, and Rudolph will certainly be something to keep an eye on moving forward, and if the OTA practice reps were any indication, the former Ohio State star has the early edge, although, as DeFabo noted, it is still very early in the process.
The Steelers will be hoping that whoever the number two quarterback is will only see the field in blowouts next year if Rodgers is able to stay healthy once again.
Recently, it was announced that quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers for yet another NFL season. The news came after an offseason full of speculation that the future Hall of Famer may be retiring, but instead, he will be coming back and reuniting with former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.