Steelers New HC Very Interested in Will Howard’s Upside

Howard's Role in 2026

At the moment, Howard and Rudolph are the only two signal caller under contract in Pittsburgh.

McCarthy and the Steelers' front office have plenty of things to sort out from a roster-building and personnel standpoint this offseason, but the quarterback position figures to rank at the top of their to-do list.

The elephant in the room in terms of that discussion is whether or not Aaron Rodgers will return to the team in 2026. It seemed like he was on his way out upon learning the news that Mike Tomlin was stepping down as Pittsburgh's head coach, but given that McCarthy was the four-time MVP's head coach for over a decade with the Green Bay Packers, the preexisting relationship between the two may ultimately lure Rodgers back to the Steelers.

That's certainly not a given, though, as Rodgers is expected to seriously contemplate retirement at 42-years-old and may also explore his options around the league.

If the future Hall of Famer, who served as a mentor to Howard and stated that he's "got a bright future" towards the end of the season, isn't back in Pittsburgh, than there's a scenario in which he could challenge for the starting job if all goes well throughout the offseason program, training camp and the preseason.

Steelers' Other QB Options

With Howard and Rudolph profiling as backup-type signal callers for the time being, Pittsburgh likely won't look to add another quarterback who fits into that same mold this offseason.

Rather, it feels more probable that they'll either take a rookie at the position in the first round or perhaps early on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft in hopes of them developing into a long-term starter. A few names to watch in that regard are Alabama's Ty Simpson and Ole Miss' Trinidad Chambliss if his eligibility appeal is denied.

Should the Steelers go the veteran route outside of Rodgers, perhaps they'll show interest in signing a higher-upside option like Malik Willis or see if they can land a player with more starting experience such as Kyler Murray, Kirk Cousins, Tua Tagovailoa or Daniel Jones, among others.