The Pittsburgh Steelers will begin training camp on July 28, which runs through August 17 at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. During that stretch, many will be watching to see how the team’s quarterback situation shakes out between Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar.
Aaron Rodgers’ return for a 22nd NFL season assures him the starting job. But his return also makes for an interesting quarterback battle behind him for QB2.
The Athletic’s Mike DeFabo said it ultimately comes down to Rudolph and Howard, who may be fighting for more than just the backup role.
Steelers Facing Difficult Decision in QB2 Battle
If it were up to new head coach Mike McCarthy, the Steelers would carry all four quarterbacks into the 2026 season. That’s just not feasible, however.
“We’re hoping Omar (Khan) can get the roster expanded to 55 and we can keep four (QBs),” McCarthy said back during the team’s OTAs.
League rules still mandate a 53-man roster. DeFabo illustrates why the QB2 job may dictate a final roster spot between Rudolph and Howard.
“Keeping four QBs is a luxury that I’m not sure the Steelers can afford (unless one of the four conveniently gets a minor injury near the end of camp),” DeFabo wrote. “That appears to have set the stage for a competition between Howard and Rudolph for the QB2 position and, quite possibly, the last spot for a quarterback on the 53-man roster.”
There are only so many spots available, and keeping four quarterbacks on a roster isn’t typically what NFL teams do.
The assumption is that this may lead to Rudolph being the odd man out, ending what would be his second stint in Pittsburgh. But then again, Howard hasn’t even played a single down in the NFL yet.
Steelers Must Weigh Experience Vs. Potential Between Mason Rudolph, Will Howard
This is where McCarthy and his staff have to carefully weigh all their options at the quarterback position.
DeFabo’s case for Rudolph boils down to the Steelers being in a win-now approach. And if Rodgers goes down with an injury, he could easily step right in.
“The Steelers put themselves in a win-now posture by extending a 37-year-old Cameron Heyward, bringing in several veterans in free agency, and by waiting on a 42-year-old starting QB Aaron Rodgers,” DeFabo wrote. “If they needed a spot starter tomorrow to keep the ship afloat for a game or two, Rudolph would be best-positioned to do so; he has 36 games (including 20 starts) of NFL regular-season and playoff experience, nearly 5,000 career passing yards and a 30-22 TD-to-INT ratio.”
That’s the type of experience both Howard and Allar have none of.
“It could be a risk to start the season with a soon-to-be 43-year-old QB and two young backups who have never appeared in an NFL game.”
Rudolph did become part of the Steelers’ late-season problems last year, though. He committed some turnovers that proved costly against the Chicago Bears in Week 11, which continued a bit of a skid for the team.
For Howard, DeFabo believes he has to gain the coaching staff’s trust if he wants to maintain his spot on the team.
“I’m not so sure Will Howard necessarily needs to beat out Rudolph in a direct competition,” DeFabo wrote. “Instead, he may need to only prove to the coaching staff that he can be a competent backup QB worth developing. It’s not necessarily a question of which QB is better. It’s a question of: Do you trust Howard?”
Again, there’s no baseline to gauge Howard against NFL competition. He brought plenty of experience with him from college, appearing in 50 games. It’s just that no one knows how that will translate yet, if it does at all, especially after a year off dealing with injury.
2 Steelers QBs Expected to Battle for ‘Last’ Roster Spot at Training Camp