The Pittsburgh Steelers entered training camp with a decision to make at the quarterback position, but the competition between Drew Allar and Will Howard might end with both players making the team.
There is a “growing possibility” that the Steelers carry four quarterbacks, per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Veteran Aaron Rodgers will return as the unquestioned starter in what will be his final NFL season. The team brought back journeyman Mason Rudolph last season to serve as his backup. That leaves Howard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, to compete with the rookie Allar. Pittsburgh spent a third-round pick in this year’s draft on the former Penn State signal-caller.
Pittsburgh Steelers Could Keep All Four Quarterbacks With Uncertainty Beyond This Season
GettyPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – JANUARY 12: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers reacts in the third quarter of an NFL wild card playoff game against the Houston Texans at Acrisure Stadium on January 12, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Rodgers made it clear this offseason that he’d hang up his cleats after this season. He was almost done after a disappointing playoff loss in the Wild Card round against the Houston Texans led to the resignation of longtime leader Mike Tomlin. The future Hall of Famer decided to re-sign with the Steelers after the team added head coach Mike McCarthy.
“When he said he was stepping away, that was an emotional moment just because we all love him so much and care about him, and I thought that was probably it for me in Pittsburgh,” Rodgers told ESPN. “But when the decision was made to hire Mike, I started opening my mind back up to coming back.”
With Rodgers back in the fold, Pittsburgh has the most important position on the field covered, but only for one more season. Rudolph will also depart after the 2026-27 campaign. He signed a two-year, $7.5MM contract heading into last season to be Rodgers’ understudy. The six-year veteran will head back to free agency next offseason.
General manager Omar Khan has taken multiple shots in the draft to find a long-term solution at quarterback. The executive grabbed Howard near the end of last year’s draft. Khan watched Cam Ward and Jaxson Dart go off the board in the first round that year, to no one’s surprise. The Steelers could’ve made a play for Tyler Shough or Shedeur Sanders, but declined. Dillon Gabriel and Jalen Milroe were also taken later in the draft.
Allar was the fourth quarterback off the board this year. Francisco Mendoza and Ty Simpson went in the first round. Carson Beck was the first pick of the third round.
Has a Team Ever Kept Four Quarterbacks on the Roster?
GettyBEREA, OHIO – JUNE 11: Shedeur Sanders #2 of the Cleveland Browns looks on during the Cleveland Browns Mandatory Minicamp at CrossCountry Mortgage Campus on June 11, 2026 in Berea, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images)
The typical 53-man roster in the NFL includes three quarterbacks. It’s rare for teams to hold onto four passers, but not unheard of. Just last year, the Cleveland Browns retained Joe Flacco and Kenny Pickett alongside rookies Sanders and Gabriel.
As Dulac points out, Pittsburgh has actually rostered four quarterbacks before, although it came with a caveat. The 1995 squad carried Neil O’Donnell, Mike Tomczak, Jim Miller and Kordell Stewart. The versatile Stewart was used as a wide receiver, so it comes with an asterisk.
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