Since selecting Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL Draft, some Pittsburgh Steelers fans have daydreamed about what the quarterback room would look like without Aaron Rodgers this fall. Rodgers remains unsigned, but that might not be the worst thing with two developmental quarterbacks on Pittsburgh’s roster who could improve by playing in 2026.
CBS Sports’ Garrett Podell, though, made it clear no Rodgers for the Steelers would be very bad for the team’s chances to win this fall.
On Tuesday, Podell ranked the 10 worst quarterback rooms in the NFL. The CBS analyst listed the Steelers — without Rodgers — at No. 3.
“At the moment, two-thirds of the Steelers‘ quarterback room has yet to throw a pass in the NFL’s regular season,” wrote Podell.
“McCarthy wouldn’t have drafted Allar on Day 2 if he didn’t believe in his potential. Perhaps McCarthy sees Allar as a quicker decision-maker than Rudolph or Howard. However, Rodgers gets his starting job back if he comes back to Pittsburgh.
“There is reason to believe Rodgers could end up with another team in 2026 since the Steelers felt like they had to place the rare right-of-first-refusal tag on him.”
Only the Cleveland Browns and New York Jets were ranked higher (or is it lower?) on Podell’s worst quarterback room list.
Judging Pittsburgh Steelers Current QB Room
This isn’t the first time this offseason the Steelers received quarterback depth chart criticism. Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon ranked the 10 worst quarterback situations in the league on April 10.
The Steelers finished fourth on that list.
Honestly, the team is fortunate not to be ranked worse than third or fourth. While Mason Rudolph is a quality backup, he’s the only signal-caller in Pittsburgh with NFL experience. The other two — Allar and Will Howard — are essentially developmental projects.
Both have upside. That allows local fans to be excited about them. But nationally, it’s not a great look to have two of those kinds of quarterbacks without a true starter.
Rudolph is 9-9-1 in his NFL career. But he is 1-5 over the past two years.
Will Aaron Rodgers Return for Steelers?
The million dollar question remaining around the Steelers is the same — will Rodgers play in 2026?
No one appears to have a clear answer.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly wrote May 18 or 20 were dates to keep an eye on for Rodgers signing in his latest mailbag this week. Kaboly also mentioned June 2 as the latest date.
But it’s a boy who cried wolf situation with the media and Rodgers right now. Both local and national pundits didn’t predict Rodgers to drag out his 2026 decision this long this offseason.
Last year, Rodgers signed with the Steelers on June 5.
With Rodgers back, the Steelers should improve on offseason lists where pundits rank the worst quarterback rooms. Pittsburgh might even move out of the top 10.
Last year, Rodgers completed 65.7% of his passes for 3,322 yards. He also had 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions while averaging 6.7 yards per attempt.
But the issue part of the Steelers fan base has with Rodgers potentially returning is he’s a band-aid for the quarterback room. He only temporarily makes Pittsburgh’s quarterback depth not one of the worst in the league.
From a long-term perspective, it could be a good option for the Steelers to go with their poor quarterback depth to see if it’s any better than analysts expect.
Steelers Get Big Warning on QB Room Without Aaron Rodgers