Aaron Rodgers’ official return to the Pittsburgh Steelers, marked by the quarterback expected to sign a one-year deal worth up to $25 million, answers one question while creating several others about the team’s quarterback room, the report says. With four signal-callers now on the roster, the immediate question is who would be the odd man out and whether the team will prioritize veteran experience or developmental upside.
Coach Mike McCarthy said after the second day of rookie minicamp that working with three quarterbacks is typical for his coaching style, and that having four would be “awesome,” the report says. Elias Sports Bureau data cited in the report indicates a McCarthy-led team has never entered Week 1 with four quarterbacks on the active roster, and in 10 of 18 seasons as a head coach his teams carried three quarterbacks into the season opener.
Per the report, the Steelers’ current room includes Rodgers alongside 2018 third-round pick Mason Rudolph, 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar. Neither Allar nor Howard have taken an NFL snap, and Howard spent much of the 2025 season on injured reserve. Rudolph has played in 19 games across his seven-year pro career and completed 64.4% of his career attempts for 30 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. Last season, Rudolph filled in for Rodgers in Week 12 against the Chicago Bears, completing 77.4% of his attempts with one touchdown, one interception and two sacks, but it wasn’t enough to beat the Bears on the road, the report says.
The report says McCarthy has embraced the challenge of developing inexperienced quarterbacks. McCarthy was quoted at rookie minicamp saying, “I love the whole process,” and adding that working with quarterbacks coach Tom Arth and young players gives him “unbelievable joy.” He said he especially enjoys working with players when they are “just starting out.”
The next couple of months will determine how the Steelers handle practice reps and roster decisions as they move through offseason work, into July training camp in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, and toward the August reduction from 90 players to 53, plus up to 17 on the practice squad, the report says. The report adds that if Week 1 arrives with Rodgers, Howard and Allar behind him, it would mark McCarthy’s least-experienced group of backups in his coaching career.
