Aaron Rodgers has finally re-signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, solidifying who will be starting under center this season. However, there’s still the question of who will back him up. They have four signal callers currently on the roster, and it feels unlikely that all of them will be with the team for Week 1. Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar are likely fighting for the two spots behind Rodgers. While Rudolph seems like the most likely candidate to be cut, Mike Florio believes the Steelers will ultimately move on from Howard.
“I think Will Howard’s going to be the odd man out, unless someone gets injured,” Florio said Monday on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “You’ve got four guys. You need four guys for now. Go ahead, give him an opportunity… The thing that helps Mason Rudolph is, if Aaron Rodgers gets injured, who do you want to step in and play right away?
“If Aaron Rodgers gets a concussion check, if Aaron Rodgers does anything that keeps him out of the game, they need Mason Rudolph because he’s the guy that can walk right in and play. You’re otherwise rolling the dice with guys who have never played before… Rudolph’s the guy who plays in a pinch, Allar’s the guy you’re building for the future, Howard’s the guy who’s gonna be cut or traded.”
Howard was the Steelers’ sixth-round pick last year. Unfortunately, he didn’t play at all in 2025, even in the preseason, so he’s still relatively unknown.
However, Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan have said nothing but positive things about Howard. They sound like they have high hopes for him. While that doesn’t guarantee that his roster spot is safe, he’s still a young player with potential.
Compare that to Rudolph, who has been in the league since 2018. He has become a fine backup, but he isn’t irreplaceable. Rudolph logged one start last season in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears. He completed 24 of his 31 pass attempts for 171 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. While that’s not awful, it isn’t incredible, either.
The reality is that the Steelers aren’t going very far this year if Rodgers goes down. Whether it’s Rudolph, Howard, or Allar, the Steelers’ offense likely won’t be able to operate at the same level.
At least there’s a chance that Howard or Allar could be the Steelers’ answer under center. Is that likely? No, but Rudolph is a known commodity at this point.
It wouldn’t be the first time that the Steelers entered a season with two inexperienced players behind a veteran, either. They walked into the 2018 season with a rookie Rudolph and second-year player Josh Dobbs behind Ben Roethlisberger. The situations aren’t the same, but that could be the blueprint for the Steelers’ 2026 quarterback room. Don’t rule out Howard or Allar due to their inexperience.
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