The Pittsburgh Steelers know they’ll need a new starting quarterback in 2027. Aaron Rodgers has said this season will be his last, leaving the franchise with another major decision at a position it has struggled to settle for years.
Pittsburgh has two young quarterbacks already on the roster and another draft approaching. One longtime Steelers reporter sees a competition developing between those young players, especially if the 2027 class doesn’t live up to expectations.
Steelers Could Have Will Howard, Drew Allar Battle in 2027
In his Oct. 22 mailbag, The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo addressed Pittsburgh’s options after Rodgers, including whether the Steelers would use a first-round pick on another quarterback.
DeFabo wrote:
“If the Steelers can find a way to draft a first-round QB, they will. They seem to like more experienced college QBs, which makes Ole Miss senior Trinidad Chambliss a player to circle, even this early in the process. That said, Arch Manning’s recent up-and-down performance makes me concerned the Steelers could be in a similar situation to last year, with the class ending up weaker than anticipated and Aaron Rodgers playing well enough to push them too far away from the top candidates.”
DeFabo then pointed to Pittsburgh’s decision to draft Drew Allar as a possible sign the team was preparing for that outcome.
“I almost think the Steelers were planning for that possibility when they drafted Allar. If I had to guess, I’d expect a Will Howard vs. Allar camp competition for the Week 1 starting job, even if the Steelers can find a way to get a QB.”
That would leave two players drafted outside the first round competing to succeed Rodgers rather than handing the job directly to a new top pick.
Steelers Have Two Young Options After Aaron Rodgers
Pittsburgh selected Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 draft after he led Ohio State to a national championship. The Steelers followed that by taking Allar out of Penn State with the No. 76 pick in the third round this April.
Howard threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns in his final college season. Allar finished his Penn State career with 7,402 passing yards and 61 touchdown passes over four seasons. The Steelers kept both on their 53-man roster this year alongside Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
When the Steelers drafted Allar, quarterbacks coach Tom Arth praised his “effortless arm” and said he could make every throw on the field, according to Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley. But neither young quarterback has been given the regular-season starting job, leaving a major evaluation ahead if the Steelers follow DeFabo’s suggested path.
The draft remains another possibility. Chambliss has thrown for 1,676 yards and 14 touchdowns in six games this season for Ole Miss, while Manning’s uneven play at Texas has prompted questions about how the 2027 quarterback group will look by April.
Rodgers has helped complicate the draft outlook himself. Through six starts, the 42-year-old has thrown for 1,487 yards and 12 touchdowns, helping Pittsburgh open 4-2. More wins would also mean a later first-round selection unless the Steelers moved up.
Rodgers plans to retire, and Rudolph’s contract expires after this season. Howard and Allar, meanwhile, are signed beyond 2026. Unless Pittsburgh lands another quarterback it trusts, those two could enter next summer with the best chance of winning the job.
Steelers Insider Names QB Prospect to ‘Circle’ Amid Will Howard, Drew Allar Plans