Jan 12, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) warms up before an AFC Wild Card Round game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers Have One Positive in Aaron Rodgers Chaos

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 10:30 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting on Aaron Rodgers, but what if it's not so bad that they don't have him back on the roster, yet?

The Steelers get an extra set of voluntary workouts this offseason because they hired a new head coach, Mike McCarthy. Those first days of Organized Team Activities will run just before the 2026 NFL Draft, and then the team will return at the end of May for their second set and the beginning of minicamp.

If Rodgers doesn't show up before then, the Steelers get time to look at their other QBs. Before the NFL Draft, that means a lot of reps for Will Howard. Pittsburgh has preached that Howard is their favorite right now to be the long-term solution at quarterback after Rodgers. But he hasn't taken many NFL snaps.

Giving him an offseason with McCarthy means the head coach gets to find out where Howard's baseline is.

Then, after the NFL Draft, you'd get Howard and likely a rookie who can get more snaps than usual as well. Again, establishing an idea of where your second young passer is coming into the league.

Steelers Legend Agrees

Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerome Bettis agrees. In an exclusive interview with Steelers On SI, where Bettis dove into many things, including his contributions to this year's 'The Beast,' he made it known that there's a silver lining to Pittsburgh's quarterback dilemma.

"Everyone's talking about Aaron Rodgers, 'Ah, he should be back.' Actually, Aaron Rodgers not coming in, actually helps the Steelers if he does decide to come later on," Bettis said. "Because now you're going to get some young guys. Let's say you draft another quarterback. Now, you've got two young quarterback that are getting all the reps, learning the offense, and you're getting an opportunity as an organization to see these guys compete at that position with getting those reps and now you get them in the preseason and you really get a good opportunity to look at them in some live action.

"And I think that gives you an opportunity to let you know where you are. And if it is next year, you know what you have in the building and you know if you really need to go out and get another one."

It may be time to start thinking about the good that could come with Rodgers not giving the Steelers and answer. It doesn't change how strange and frustating the situation is to the fanbase, but it does give something to be excited about.

If Rodgers doesn't want to play football this spring, the Steelers get extra time to look at Howard and a rookie. The one positive everyone can take away from the chaos Rodgers has caused.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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