Steelers face crowded QB battle heading into training camp

For a team that spent months waiting on clarity at quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers suddenly have the opposite problem. 

If Aaron Rodgers returns for a second tour in Pittsburgh, the Steelers will have arguably one of the deepest quarterback rooms in the NFL heading into training camp. 

The veteran Rodgers is still presumed to be the starter after leading Pittsburgh to a 10-7 finish and an AFC North title in 2025. However, veteran Mason Rudolph is still present to back him up, and young signal-callers Will Howard and 2026 third-round draft pick Drew Allar continue to develop behind them. Quarterback depth can be a positive; however, the Steelers will be forced to make difficult decisions about playing time, progression and the future at the quarterback position.

What happens to Mason Rudolph?

One of the more interesting questions in Pittsburgh’s quarterback room involves Mason Rudolph and where exactly he fits moving forward. After returning to Pittsburgh as a dependable veteran option, Rudolph is, after Rodgers, still the most experienced backup on the Steelers roster.

The issue is that the Steelers not only drafted Howard in 2025, but they also spent a premium pick on Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. If the Steelers want to truly invest in either Howard or Allar as potential future parts of the franchise, then they will need playing time. 

That is precisely the predicament Rudolph is in. He is too knowledgeable of the system to completely dismiss. But Pittsburgh needs to decide whether it is in its best interest to maintain a veteran backup or hinder the development of the two signal-callers behind him.

Is Will Howard already feeling the pressure?

Pittsburgh's least discussed, but most pressured quarterback room just may belong to Howard. Coming into the franchise in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Howard was labeled as a "developmental prospect with upside." 

Fast forward a year and one selection of Allar, and there is an obvious question mark surrounding Howard and his future in the organization. Franchises do not use that much draft capital on a player in this league at quarterback unless they have some doubt about the talent they currently have in-house. Pittsburgh has not said that it has given up on Howard; rather, it felt that it needed to spend another high draft pick on the position with such urgency. 

Why did the Steelers draft Drew Allar?

While Allar is not likely to contend for significant snaps right away, the rookie immediately becomes arguably the most interesting name in the Pittsburgh quarterback room. While Rodgers and Rudolph will offer immediate depth and short-term stability, Allar can be a long-term solution under center in Pittsburgh, a role the team has struggled to fill since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement. 

He should enter training camp with reasonable expectations for the most part. If he shows some flashes, conversations about the future in Pittsburgh will heat up very fast.

Pittsburgh's QB battle is just beginning

Pittsburgh suddenly has experience, youth, uncertainty and long-term questions all packed into one quarterback room. That may create competition during training camp, but it also creates pressure. Eventually, the Steelers will have to stop juggling temporary answers and decide who they truly believe leads the future of the franchise.