Steelers make 'intentional' QB move behind Aaron Rodgers
Will Howard’s QB2 reps give the Pittsburgh Steelers a real evaluation point as Aaron Rodgers starts and Drew Allar develops.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are still early in the offseason, but one quarterback decision behind Aaron Rodgers is starting to take on more meaning. With Week 1 of 2026 Organized Team Activities (OTAs) ending Thursday, ESPN’s Brooke Pryor noted that Will Howard has been working as QB2 behind Rodgers. Mason Rudolph followed as QB3, while rookie Drew Allar worked as QB4.
It's May, so, of course, that order should not be treated like a final depth chart, but Howard’s placement is not being viewed as a random OTA rotation. “This is very intentional by the coaching staff to get a good evaluation of what they have in Will Howard,” Pryor said in an ESPN segment on Monday. The latest on Aaron Rodgers' first day back in Pittsburgh with @HannahStormESPN and Tim Hasselbeck for @SportsCenter ⤵️ pic.
twitter. com/7jbw11XUDO — Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) May 18, 2026 That matters because Howard’s first NFL season was essentially interrupted before it ever got started. The 2025 sixth-round pick opened last season on injured reserve after suffering a fractured right hand during training camp.
He spent the first 10 weeks recovering before the Steelers activated him to the 53-man roster on Nov. 12, 2025. Howard never appeared in a regular-season game, leaving the new coaching staff with very little live evidence to judge by.