Pittsburgh’s Second-Year QB Is Shining at the Steelers 2026 OTAs

As NFL teams enter their off-season team activities, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a weird situation: they have four quarterbacks rostered. The recently signed Super Bowl XLV winning quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, agreed to a one-year deal and is slated to be the starter for Pittsburgh in his final NFL season, but the other three passers behind him still have a lot of time before their official position on the depth chart is decided. Rookie quarterback Drew Allar, taken in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, will have his spot as the emergency third quarterback practically guaranteed, simply because he is coming in as a rookie, similar to Will Howard, who was taken by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Although it’s still early in the Steelers’ OTAs, Howard has already been the frontrunner for praise and excitement. The former National Champion at Ohio State has turned the heads of head coach Mike McCarthy, as well as quarterbacks coach Tom Arth. McCarthy has already stated that the selection of Allar out of Penn State does not deter his interest in the six-foot-four quarterback, saying, “I’m extremely excited about Will. He’s everything I thought he’d be. His athletic ability stands out, and he’s really taken to the footwork and the things we’re doing so far.” He touches on Mason Rudolph as well, but does not sing his praises the same way he does for Howard.

In 2025, Howard suffered an injury before the start of preseason, sidelining him for most of the season until he eventually came in to serve as the 'Steelers' emergency QB3 behind Rodgers and Rudolph. Even with reports that the 30-year-old Rudolph is the odd man out among Pittsburgh’s loaded quarterback room, he’s the only one with real game experience besides Rodgers. The sophomore passer knew he’d have to fight out all three other quarterbacks just to prove he should have a shot, and so far, he’s done exactly that. Arth spoke highly of Howard, saying, “I think, for him, what’s been really good is the level of detail and preparation, and the training has allowed a player of his caliber, from a mental standpoint, his ability to process information and utilize that information is really beneficial for him. He’s performed well here in OTAs up to this point.” Being a third-day draft selection, combined with having extremely limited NFL experience, makes Howard’s progression that much more impressive. Whether it was former head coach Mike Tomlin, former starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, other former players, or Howard’s teammates, the hype has followed him into his second year, and he’s the only one who can decide if he deserves it or not.

Arth, as well as McCarthy, is aware that OTAs do not necessarily decide a player's future with the team, or their role on that team. Both young quarterbacks, from rival colleges, are the future of this team, not the present. As OTAs transition into training camp, preseason, and then the regular season, this level of detailed evaluation will continue and be much more decisive. Arth comments on this too, when he states, “Once we get into training camp and preseason, I think that’s where the true evaluation will start to take place. He’s doing everything and more that we could ask of him. He’s exceeding expectations, and we couldn’t be happier with where he’s at.” Common reports from last season, especially after the sixth-rounder recovered from his injury, were the relationship he was building with Rodgers. The former Super Bowl Champion mentored Howard in a way he had never done with his backups, and it seems to have been extremely beneficial for the then-rookie. Heading into his second year, the Steelers’ re-signing of Rodgers directly tells Howard they don’t believe he is fully ready to be an NFL starter yet. That being said, if the 24-year-old can continue to make big strides and perform well in preseason, he’ll likely pave a path for himself to compete for the Steelers' starting job in 2027. Uncommon, but not completely unheard of, Howard will have the chance to become the Steelers franchise quarterback after entering the league as a sixth-round selection.