Steelers' Aaron Rodgers excited about this aspect of final NFL season

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Aaron Rodgers revealed some expected news when he confirmed that the 2026 season will be his last as an active player. 

The 42-year-old also said he is excited to once again serve as a mentor to 2025 rookie Will Howard and to begin working with 2026 third-round draft choice Drew Allar.

Aaron Rodgers: Mentoring Will Howard, Drew Allar is "a great opportunity"

"...It's a great opportunity for sure, to be able to mentor those guys," Rodgers explained, per Jake Brockhoff of Steelers Depot. "It means a lot to me, that all the backups I've had over the years, a lot of good relationships still to this day with those guys. And then, fun I had with Will last year. I'll try and mentor Drew as much as he wants me to and keep staying on Will."

While Allar is viewed as a project for the future, Howard likely will be allowed to compete with veteran Mason Rudolph for Pittsburgh's QB2 job this summer. Thus, Rodgers should want Howard to be as ready to face a live defense in a meaningful game as possible, just in case disaster strikes the Steelers this coming fall. 

Will Howard reacts to having Aaron Rodgers back with the Steelers

Since last summer, Howard has repeatedly spoken fondly of his working relationship with Rodgers. That trend continued on Wednesday after Rodgers shared that he will be entering his "Last Dance" season in September. 

"I think everyone had a little feeling, and I had a feeling he was probably gonna come back, just knowing the competitor and the person that he is," Howard said about Rodgers running it back with Pittsburgh for another campaign, per Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "I was excited. I really was. We developed a really special friendship, I felt like, last year. To be able to have another year with him, and to learn from him and for him to continue to pour into Drew and also me is just an unbelievable opportunity for me as a young player in this league, to learn from one of the legends that's been doing it for a long time."

Depending on all that happens over the next eight months or so, Howard and Allar may be the top two quarterbacks on Pittsburgh's depth chart next spring. Rodgers' tenure with the Steelers will likely one day be viewed as a massive success for the club if he ultimately helps either prospect become a long-term answer at the sport's most important position.