Steelers' Will Howard suddenly linked to AFC foe as cutdown day nears

After the Pittsburgh Steelers' first 2026 preseason game, it seemed like the team could potentially consider getting rid of veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph and holding on to the youngsters, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Then, in Week 2 with the New York Jets in town, the recent draftees of the organization performed quite poorly, contributing to a scoreless effort. Now, with the initial 53-man roster due in just a matter of days, the decision-makers are going to have to possibly make the rare move to keep all four signal-callers, or cut ties with one and risk that guy being picked up elsewhere.

It seems to be trending in the direction of Howard being the big factor. Rudolph provided enough value against the Jets even though he didn't play a snap. He is not necessarily a starter at the professional level, but is one of the best backups in the league with plenty of experience. It might not be wise to let him slip away unless someone comes offering something incredible via the trade market.

Allar shouldn't be involved in the discussion because he is a third-round rookie who has plenty of upside. Aaron Rodgers will be under center and first on the depth chart without question, so it really could come down to Howard and Rudolph. After two preseason contests and recent comments from the coaching staff, keeping four remains a possibility, but Rudolph definitely seems safer than he once was.

The challenge with releasing Howard is that there are plenty of teams out there that have likely heard the Steelers talk positively about him for several months now. Getting cut and garnering interest elsewhere is very much a possibility. That's exactly why it is a critical time for Pittsburgh's front office; a very significant decision is looming.

"How about a team like the Raiders? Right? Kirk Cousins probably going to leave after this year," Fittipaldo said. "[Fernando] Mendoza is their guy. Maybe Will Howard is a guy they develop behind him."

This would certainly be an interesting match. Howard would be jumping from the third spot on one depth chart to another; however, the long-term prospects with the Las Vegas Raiders might be stronger. If Kirk Cousins is one-and-done there, then Howard could assume the second-string role in 2027 behind Fernando Mendoza. 

In the Steel City, even though Rudolph and Rodgers are likely to be gone come March 2027, a future first-round draft selection and Allar could be slotted above Howard moving forward. It really is a fascinating story that has constantly been developing. There is no guarantee that the former sixth-rounder ends up on the practice squad, so releasing him at first will be a massive risk.

There are other places where Howard could end up landing if the Steelers do decide to cut him when the deadline arrives. He might not join a new organization and become the backup right away, but that doesn't mean he can't be the emergency third quarterback on game days who operates with the scout team during the season's practices.

The Steelers are in an interesting predicament. The goal is to win now, so having someone directly behind Rodgers, such as Rudolph, would make sense in the event that the four-time MVP has to miss a short period of time during the year. However, it would be a shame if Howard slipped away and ended up being one of the most formidable second-stringers in the NFL later on in his career.

Steelers probably already know what they are going to do with Will Howard

Despite there being one exhibition matchup left, it's unlikely that any specific performance will swing Pittsburgh one way or the other in relation to Howard's future with the team. The new coaching staff has been working with him for months, so a couple of poor showings are not going to lead to him being cut. However, there's no way to tell if an internal decision has already been made to risk cutting him and then adding him to the practice squad if all goes according to plan.