Steelers' Christian Kuntz sets high bar for Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, Drew Allar

Future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers will begin the 2026 regular season as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he is expected to retire following the campaign. 

Meanwhile, Rodgers is currently sharing the club's quarterback room with longtime backup Mason Rudolph, 2025 rookie Will Howard and 2026 third-round draft pick Drew Allar. During the latest edition of his podcast, Steelers long snapper Christian Kuntz suggested that the club won't have to spend a 2027 NFL Draft pick on an advertised top-tier signal-caller. 

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"I think the future quarterback of the Steelers is in-house right now," Kuntz said, per Ross McCorkle of Steelers Depot. "One of those three guys I truly think is the future of the Steelers." 

While Rudolph is just 31 years old, he has been in the league since 2018 and hasn't yet proved that he can be a long-term QB1 for any club. Howard has yet to attempt a pass during a regular-season game, but the fact that he was a sixth-round draft pick would lead one to believe he is more likely to become a serviceable backup rather than an elite starter. 

As for Allar, he has Pittsburgh fans excited about the team's future following his stellar preseason debut. That said, the Steelers seemingly want to develop the Penn State product slowly after he entered the NFL as a flawed prospect.

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Reporters such as Mike DeFabo of The Athletic have repeatedly touched upon how the "QB school" run by Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy could get the best out of at least Howard and Allar. Kuntz seems to be a big believer in the value of McCarthy's offseason program.

"What a situation to walk into," Kuntz added about the Steelers' quarterback situation. "You're a 23-year-old quarterback, and you get to learn from Coach McCarthy and Aaron Rodgers. And Tom Arth, our quarterbacks coach, is no slappy either. He's no bad coach. Just to come into that room for those guys, man, is special. It's an opportunity."