There’s been a lot of focus behind center the past several years for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Veteran Aaron Rodgers elected to return for 2026, but attention behind him on the depth chart still remains as the Steelers need to find a successor. One potential option is ex-Ohio State national champion quarterback Will Howard.
The former sixth-round pick, though, isn’t off to the best of starts at training camp this year. That’s what Steelers insider Mark Kaboly said during an appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Friday.
“It [hasn’t] been a great first week and a half for him,” Kaboly said of Howard. “I’m sure he can get better. I mean, he’s still a talented guy. But he just hasn’t flashed as much.
“To me, it’s just two young quarterbacks who don’t know what they’re doing yet.”
The other young signal-caller Kaboly is referring to is third-round rookie Drew Allar. Howard and Allar could be battling for the QB3 role at training camp.
Steelers’ Will Howard Not Overly Impressive at Training Camp?
GettyPittsburgh Steelers insider Mark Kaboly argued quarterback Will Howard isn’t having a great training camp.
From the start of the offseason, Kaboly hasn’t been one of the loudest supporters of Howard. That’s remained the case this month with Howard not experiencing a great camp, according to Kaboly.
Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora has offered a similar assessment of Howard’s camp in August. Kozora summarized the second-year quarterback’s training camp as “some good and bad.”
In some ways, Howard isn’t entering his second season but is still a rookie. The quarterback suffered a hand injury at about this time last year during training camp. The ailment sidelined Howard for the rest of camp and the preseason.
He missed the entire exhibition campaign. Howard didn’t return until the mid-season point in the 2025 regular season. While that allowed him to receive practice reps, Howard didn’t play in a game as a rookie (not even a preseason one).
He’s still learning and growing just as Allar is.
The Steelers selected Howard at No. 185 overall during the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. In one season at Ohio State, Howard completed 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards with 35 touchdowns versus 10 interceptions.
Mason Rudolph Holds Edge Over Howard, Drew Allar
GettyMason Rudolph has the inside track on the Pittsburgh Steelers backup quarterback job according to Mark Kaboly.
With Howard not getting as many practice repetitions as he could have during his rookie campaign, he’s behind where his development could be. Kaboly argued that’s now putting Howard at a disadvantage in this year’s training camp.
Kaboly put Allar in the same situation, suggesting veteran Mason Rudolph is his pick to be QB2 behind Rodgers.
“It’s just too much in my eyes, for those two to catch up to where Rudolph’s been over seven, eight years,” said Kaboly. “It’s just too much in this short amount of time.
“If Will Howard had last year to prepare or had any sort of resume from last year, then it’s different.”
It would be unusual for the Steelers to decide to keep four quarterbacks. But general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike McCarthy have previously implied it’s a possibility.
That would be great news for Howard, especially if the coaching staff views his training camp similar to how Kaboly does. It would guarantee him a roster spot to begin the regular season.
If the Steelers limit themselves to three signal-callers on the roster, Howard could be the odd-man out. Rodgers is the starter while Allar is a high-profiled rookie. If there’s only one other spot, then Howard has to beat out Rudolph, which doesn’t appear to be close to happening more than a week into camp.
Things can change quickly, especially with the preseason approaching. Injuries can also occur, which could change everything. But Howard has to perform better than Kaboly says he has to earn a role with the Steelers this fall.
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