Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- Aaron Rodgers' decision to retire after 2026 has turned Pittsburgh's backup quarterback race into a pivotal offseason storyline.
- The Steelers must now determine whether their future lies with a pair of young draft picks, Will Howard and Drew Allar.
- Whichever quarterback earns the backup role this summer will enter 2027 as the heavy favorite to start under center for Pittsburgh.
It feels like Aaron Rodgers' entire tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers has been defined by his mysterious personality. For reasons only Rodgers can explain, he waited until right before mandatory minicamp in June to sign with the Steelers last offseason. This offseason, it felt even more certain that he'd remain in Pittsburgh, yet he still took his sweet time (albeit a bit less time than last offseason), only choosing to re-sign days ago. As frustrating as Rodgers' indecision and mysterious ways can be, he finally gave the Steelers clarity by making a statement about his looming retirement.
Aaron Rodgers makes clear that 2026 will be his final year: “This is it.” https://t.co/RftQQl3xxG
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 20, 2026
This is it for the future Hall of Famer. 2026 will be Aaron Rodgers' final season. While NFL fans know what to expect from Rodgers (another year of mediocrity from an average-at-best quarterback), his imminent retirement actually makes this season more interesting. It now feels like the Steelers' backup quarterback competition just got meaningful.
Steelers backup QB battle just became must-watch thanks to Aaron Rodgers
Rodgers is going to start every game as long as he's healthy, but with this being his final year, the Steelers now have perhaps the most interesting backup QB battle in the NFL. The winner of it could very well be the favorite to be the team's starter in 2027.
Okay, Mason Rudolph probably doesn't count in that discussion, but the Steelers figure to give Drew Allar and Will Howard even more touches, hoping one of them impresses. The one who does better might have a leg up in the Steelers future quarterback discussions.
Howard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, did not make an appearance for the Steelers in 2025, but the organization likes him enough to have kept him this long, he's got clear upside, and he might be ready to play right now as the backup after learning last season. Allar was a third-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, and he might need more seasoning than Howard, a quarterback who is two years older, but there's reason to believe he projects as the better long-term quarterback.
It's anyone's best guess as to who will win the backup QB battle, but the state of the Steelers makes it so that whichever quarterback, whether it's Allar or Howard, that impresses the most, will be favored to start for them in 2027.
The Steelers' are tied to a future with Howard or Allar
Re-signing Rodgers, a quarterback who is now set on retiring after 2026, makes their 2027 plans crystal clear. If Rodgers wins some games and guides the Steelers to the postseason, that's great, but it also puts the Steelers in a position where drafting an immediate starting-caliber quarterback becomes virtually impossible. On the flip side, even if Rodgers underwhelms, will the Steelers be bad enough to draft a quarterback?
Probably not. Odds are, the Steelers will be mediocre again, for what feels like the millionth year in a row, making them bad enough to not go on a meaningful playoff run but too good to draft a quarterback. That's why many Steelers fans had no interest in re-signing Rodgers to begin with.
This can prove to be a blessing in disguise, though, if Allar and/or Howard impress. That's why their battle will be so interesting to watch. The Steelers are likely stuck with one of them, so it'll be interesting to find out which one it'll be.
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