Pittsburgh Steelers Face Quarterback Dilemma Ahead of 2027 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers are confronting significant decisions regarding their quarterback lineup as they prepare for Aaron Rodgers’ retirement after the 2026 season. The team is evaluating if they have a suitable replacement within their existing roster.

Currently, a competition is underway between rookie Drew Allar, who was picked in the third round, and Will Howard, drafted in the sixth round in 2025. Both have shown potential to become the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2027.

Allar made a strong impression during his preseason debut two weeks ago, completing 10 out of 13 throws for 153 yards and scoring two touchdowns along with a rushing touchdown. However, his subsequent performance wasn’t as noteworthy, completing 11 out of 23 passes for 110 yards.

Howard has also struggled to distinguish himself. Across two games, his record stands at 17 out of 24 completions for 160 yards, along with two interceptions.

Despite these results, it is Allar who appears to have a slight advantage based solely on recent preseason performances. Nevertheless, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette highlights that both quarterbacks — along with Mason Rudolph — are anticipated to be on the Steelers’ 53-man roster post-training camp.

“There will be one more preseason game to determine how many quarterbacks Steelers coach Mike McCarthy will keep on his 53-man roster. But he doesn’t need another game to know this: Will Howard and Drew Allar will be on the team,” Dulac reported. “That decision was reached even before Friday night’s 17-0 preseason loss against the New York Jets, team sources told the Post-Gazette.”

Dulac further notes, “It didn’t even matter that both Howard and Allar failed to perform like they did a week earlier when they had the town buzzing. They will be kept when the Steelers reduce their roster to 53 players after Thursday night’s preseason finale in Buffalo.”

Rudolph remains Pittsburgh’s only veteran backup. Throughout six seasons, he has maintained a 9-9-1 record as a starter. The Steelers have concluded he is not their future starting choice.

Looking ahead, Allar and Howard could become essential candidates, likely competing with selections from the 2027 draft for the position Rodgers will vacate by the season’s end.