The Steelers made it official: Aaron Rodgers is coming back for 2026. The four-time MVP inked a one-year deal worth up to $22-25 million with incentives, locking him in as the starter. For fans who wanted stability under center, this is a win. But there's a catch—and it involves a quarterback room that's suddenly way too crowded.
Rodgers' arrival pushes Pittsburgh's QB count to four. And according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, head coach Mike McCarthy has a hard rule: he never carries more than three quarterbacks on the active roster. That means one of the current backups is about to get the boot. The question is who: veteran Mason Rudolph, second-year man Will Howard, or rookie Drew Allar?
The decision won't be easy. Each option comes with serious risks. Let's break it down.
The Case for Keeping Mason Rudolph
Rudolph is the only one of the three with any real NFL experience. He's 9-9-1 as a starter and has thrown for over 250 yards in six of his 19 career starts. He also started one game for the Steelers last season and lost. Still, that's more than the other two combined. If Rodgers goes down—and at 42, that's a real possibility—Pittsburgh might want a steady hand. But "steady" isn't exactly how fans describe Rudolph's track record.
The Case for Keeping Will Howard
Howard was a sixth-round pick in 2025, spent most of his rookie year on IR, and didn't take a single snap after being activated in November. That's zero NFL experience. But he's young, cheap, and has time to develop. The downside: if Rodgers gets hurt, the Steelers would be handing the keys to a guy who's never played a down in the league.
The Case for Keeping Drew Allar
Allar is the most intriguing—and the safest bet to stay. Pittsburgh used a third-round pick (No. 76 overall) on him in the 2026 draft, a much bigger investment than they made in Howard. Coming out of Penn State, Allar had a stellar college career, though it ended with a season-ending injury after the Nittany Lions collapsed down the stretch. His ceiling is high, but he's a rookie with no NFL snaps.
Fans are split. Some want to cut Rudolph and roll the dice on youth. Others argue that cutting Howard would leave the team with two untested backups. And a few even wonder if Allar could be trade bait.
McCarthy has already shown he's willing to make tough calls. Earlier this offseason, there was buzz that he wanted to move on from Rodgers entirely, but the two eventually patched things up. Now he's got to decide which young QB gets the axe.
Whoever gets cut, one thing is clear: Rodgers' return has created a ripple effect that could reshape Pittsburgh's quarterback depth chart for years. The Steelers have a lot of talent in that room, but only three can stay.
For more on how this all came together, check out our earlier coverage of rodgers' one-year deal with the steelers and the coach's reunion with his former star.
