For teams like the Pittsburgh Steelers, who never pick in the top of the first round, it can be hard to find a franchise QB. It’s a problem the Steelers have tried to solve since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Heading into 2026, they might have their most intriguing youth in the room since Roethlisberger played his last down in the form of Will Howard and Drew Allar.
But it’s not enough to give FOX Sports’ Colin Cowherd any hope.
“Right now, they’ve got Aaron Rodgers, Drew Allar, Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. In a division with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow,” Cowherd said Thursday on FS1’s The Herd. “The Pittsburgh Steelers, who have no real plan. Will Howard’s not your plan. Not in the AFC. What’s your plan at quarterback?”
It certainly is hard to compete in the AFC, let alone the AFC North, without a quarterback. To their credit, the Steelers have snuck into the playoffs in recent years with the likes of Mason Rudolph, Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers. But in a conference with quarterbacks like Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen, and a division with Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, it’s hard to truly compete.
Can Howard or Allar become that kind of QB for the Steelers? It’s a little bit of a long shot for both. Howard had a stellar run to end his collegiate career, proving he can win on the biggest stage. But he was drafted in the sixth round, and there’s a solid chance he doesn’t play meaningful snaps in either of his first two seasons.
Allar does have the traits to become a superstar-level quarterback. He’s got the size and the arm to make that happen, and he made some truly jaw-dropping throws in college. But he went in the third-round for a reason. Allar needs plenty of work with his mechanics and mental aspect of his game. While he certainly could reach his peak, it will take a lot of work to get there.
However, it’s hard to feel like the Steelers are in anything but a good situation with these two. With Aaron Rodgers starting in 2026, neither will be pressured into playing meaningful snaps any injuries. Each have a year to work with Mike McCarthy, who has a long track record of developing quarterbacks. Plus, they get to learn from Rodgers for another season.
For at least this season, the Steelers are kicking the QB can down the road again. But in Howard and Allar, there is reason for hope. Maybe neither will ever become a franchise quarterback, as Cowherd feels. But McCarthy certainly has some tools to work with in each of them.
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