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Steelers training camp will see Aaron Rodgers resume padded practices with a number of familiar faces. How the rest of the team’s quarterback depth chart will take shape remains to be seen, though.
Veteran Mason Rudolph is joined by 2025 sixth-rounder Will Howard and third-round rookie Drew Allar. Rodgers is a roster lock, but only two of the remaining three passers are in line to survive roster cuts (barring an injury). The distribution of reps during the spring led to further speculation about how the pecking order will emerge through camp and the preseason. In particular, Rudolph and Howard will be worth watching closely.
Mike DeFabo of The Athletic writes Rudolph and Howard are likely in position to compete for the QB2 gig. Keeping Allar as a developmental No. 3 option would be logical, leaving the Steelers with a choice on how to proceed at the backup spot. 2026 is seen as a win-now campaign given the number of veterans – including, most notably, Rodgers – who return from last season. Surrounding Rodgers with two quarterbacks who have yet to take a regular-season snap in the NFL would carry considerable risk, something which points to Rudolph having a strong chance at being retained.
The 31-year-old is due $3MM in base salary for 2026, the final year of his current contract. The Steelers would save that amount by cutting or trading Rudolph, however, while generating only $1.62MM in dead money. Electing to move forward with the younger options could be tempting as a result. New head coach Mike McCarthy was not in place when Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh last year, and he has a track record for developing quarterbacks. During the lead-up to the draft (a period which contained uncertainty over whether or not Rodgers would be back), McCarthy routinely praised Howard and spoke highly of his upside.
As DeFabo notes, the matter of whether or not Pittsburgh trusts Howard to handle backup duties in 2026 will be more pressing than the question of his ceiling relative to Rudolph. If all four passers are healthy by the end of the summer, attempting to pass Howard through waivers could receive consideration. With the Ohio State product having not yet played in the regular season, he would have a stronger chance of going unclaimed than Allar. Of course, injuries to other veterans around the league could also lead to trade interest in Rudolph.
The manner in which McCarthy splits backup and third-string reps during training camp will be worth following, as will the playing time Rudolph and Howard in particular receive in the preseason. How the Steelers proceed in each case will represent a notable summer storyline.
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