Mike McCarthy shares huge Will Howard update after Steelers select Drew Allar

Some local and national reporters have suggested that 2025 rookie Will Howard doesn't have much of a future with the Pittsburgh Steelers after the Steelers selected Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. 

Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy wasn't with the organization when Howard entered the league, but McCarthy presumably had a big role in Pittsburgh taking a flier on Allar. Nevertheless, McCarthy insisted during a Thursday appearance on SiriusXM's Mad Dog Sports Radio channel that he won't be giving up on Howard anytime soon. 

Mike McCarthy: Will Howard will be "a starter in this league"

"We’ve talked about quarterbacks for 20 years, and it’s all about adding the right people to the room," McCarthy explained, per Aaron Becker of Steelers Now. "Will Howard is someone I’m extremely excited about. I think our short time together, there’s a lot there to work with, and I think he’s going to be definitely a starter in this league." 

Howard took no meaningful snaps during his rookie season and, thus, is an unproven commodity as a pro. The Steelers also have veteran Mason Rudolph on their roster this spring, but McCarthy could keep both Howard and Allar to serve as backups for Aaron Rodgers if the future Hall of Famer re-signs with the club later this month, as expected. 

Mike McCarthy shares a challenge for Drew Allar

On paper, Allar is the more promising prospect of the younger Pittsburgh quarterbacks. He's also viewed by some as a project who "needs some work" and who probably shouldn't take a regular-season snap anytime soon. 

"It’s a really good room for Drew to come into," McCarthy said about Allar. "He needs to come in, he’s a rookie, and he needs to learn it. But there’s a method to how we train the quarterback position, and I’m just trying to have the best competitive quarterback room that we possibly can have. I think we definitely accomplished that by drafting Drew."

How quickly Allar learns and masters the playbook could determine whether or not McCarthy feels comfortable moving on from Rudolph before September arrives.