Steelers Prepared For Will Howard-Mason Rudolph QB Competition; Latest On Aaron Rodgers

This past weekend came and went without any deal being finalized between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers. The future Hall of Famer was indeed in Pittsburgh, but contact was not made with the team.

SportsBoom’s Jason La Canfora confirms as much, adding there has yet to be a firm commitment provided by the player to the team in this long-running (but familiar) saga. Rodgers remained unsigned until June 5 in 2025, and with spring practices approaching for this year it is still unclear if a second Steelers campaign will be in store. New head coach Mike McCarthy has begun installing his offense with Pittsburgh’s three current passers, a group which includes rookie Drew Allar but two quarterbacks he inherited.

The two of them – 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard along with veteran Mason Rudolph – loom as QB1 options as things stand. La Canfora reports the Steelers have not been in contact with non-Rodgers free agents or with outside teams regarding a trade for a passer. The team has kept the door open to a Rodgers reunion, but clarity was expected well before this point of the spring. In event no deal is worked out, a competition among the incumbent quarterbacks will take place.

On that note, La Canfora adds Howard continues to be a player whose development the team remains “very excited about.” McCarthy praised the Ohio State product earlier this offseason, but it still came as little surprise when Pittsburgh made a second straight draft investment in the form of Allar. Howard will nevertheless have a “very real chance” to land the QB1 gig over Rudolph if Rodgers retires or the decision is made to move forward without him.

The Steelers recently placed the rarely-used UFA tender on Rodgers to provide insurance against the unlikely possibility of him signing elsewhere. The 42-year-old was originally on course to have Pittsburgh tenure last only one season, but over time all parties warmed to the idea of a 2026 agreement. The decision by Mike Tomlin to resign as head coach left Rodgers without a staffer he enjoyed working with, although McCarthy is a familiar face given their previous time in Green Bay. McCarthy has consistently said he would welcome a Rodgers reunion.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor notes (video link) May 18 is still a date to watch closely in this situation. That marks the beginning of the Steelers’ OTAs. Pittsburgh’s preference would no doubt be to have Rodgers under contract before that point, and finances are not believed to be an issue as it pertains to the four-time MVP. It will be interesting to see if recent talks involving his agent have laid the groundwork for a contract.

If Rodgers does not wind up joining the team relatively soon, attention will turn to a potential Howard-Rudolph training camp competition. Howard, 24, did not seen any action during the regular season as a rookie, while Rudolph has 19 starts to his name. The 30-year-old returned to Pittsburgh last offseason, and he is on the books for one more year. With the Steelers aiming to contend for the playoffs once again in 2026, expectations would likely be tempered in the event their quarterback setup arrived at such a situation. That would of course be avoided with a Rodgers signing, but uncertainty still looms over his immediate future.