Steelers 2026 Training Camp Preview: Quarterbacks

With training camp set to begin, Steel City Underground is kicking off its position-by-position preview series by examining the Steelers’ quarterback room.

Unlike some teams around the league, Pittsburgh enters camp with little mystery atop the depth chart. Aaron Rodgers returns as the starter, Mason Rudolph is back as the veteran backup, last year’s sixth round draft pick Will Howard picks up where he left off and rookie Drew Allar, if signed, begins his development.

Here is a preview of the quarterbacks entering camp and what we might expect from them in Latrobe.

Aaron Rodgers

There won’t be any quarterback controversy at Saint Vincent’s College, at least not this year.

Rodgers enters his second season in Pittsburgh as the unquestioned starter after leading the Steelers to the playoffs in 2025. The biggest objective this summer is building on the chemistry he established with players last season while integrating familiar offensive concepts from his previous coaches, such as Mike McCarthy and Brian Angelichio.

What to watch: It will be fun to see Rodgers develop timing with Pittsburgh’s receiving corps, which saw a revamp over the offseason with new additions such as Colts’ standout Michael Pittman Jr. and rookie Germie Bernard.

Mason Rudolph

For better or worse, Rudolph returns to a familiar role as the Steelers’ top backup. Like last offseason, Rudolph has familiarity with the organization and many players, but will also be learning from yet a different offensive coordinator.

Rudolph’s tenure has taken him from Randy Fichtner, through Matt Canada (and his firing), to Arthur Smith and now McCarthy’s schemes. That means Rudolph is always learning on the fly, and as such, he’s never had a true shot at being a “QB1” in camp over the years.

However, his diverse knowledge of various offenses makes him a valuable insurance policy behind Rodgers.

What to watch: While he isn’t competing for the starting job, Rudolph will look to show he’s ready to step in if needed and continue serving as a veteran presence in the quarterback room.

Will Howard

Howard is arguably the most intriguing quarterback to watch during training camp. But why?

For starters, many fans were ambitious to have Howard be the starter in 2026. That was before Rodgers and Drew Allar (listed below) entered the picture.

While Howard isn’t expected to push for playing time this season, every practice and preseason snap will be an opportunity to show his growth. Especially since he missed all but two weeks of camp and half of the season in 2025.

The Steelers can afford to be patient with his development, but too much patience may have him lose ground to Allar as the real “competition” is between the two lesser experienced quarterbacks, with the hopes of one becoming the future of the franchise.

What to watch: It’s hard to say. When Mike Tomlin was in town, there would be some hierarchy to who took snaps and with which unit. With a new coach in town, we don’t know how McCarthy will operate practices. That, in itself, will be intriguing!

Drew Allar

With a higher draft pedigree than Howard, Allar enters camp as a third round rookie who had a short senior year in college and is looking to rebound now as a pro.

That’s a tall order, but the thought process in Pittsburgh is that Allar entered the 2025 season at Penn State as a potential top quarterback candidate, before the program and injuries lowered his draft stock.

Fans will be keeping an eye on the Nittany Lion product to see if he has the talents that had everyone talking about him last offseason, and if he could potentially be a “draft steal” for the Steelers. For Allar, every rep matters as he looks to prove he belongs at the NFL level.

What to watch: His path to the 53-man roster will be determined by his progress. Allar will be competing with Howard, and it’s unlikely the Steelers will keep four quarterbacks on their active depth chart. Instead, all eyes will be on whether or not these two young passers will surpass Rudolph, or if one of them lands on injured reserve to redshirt them for another season.