With the Steelers drafting Penn State quarterback Drew Allar in the third round, 76th overall, it once again raises the question of who the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback will be. 

With the recent signing of Mike McCarthy at the head coaching position, many think Aaron Rodgers will end up being the starter. McCarthy and Rodgers were once a duo in Green Bay, so the odds of Rodgers returning to the team is strengthened, along with the fact that likely no other team would want him.

But Rodgers is growing in age and is nowhere close to what he once was. Though the Steelers will likely bring Rodgers back in as the Steelers’ quarterback, they should consider taking a chance on one of their younger players, like Will Howard.

Howard is going into his second year in the NFL and sat behind Rodgers last year. He is massive in size compared to other quarterbacks and is mobile as well. With a year already under his belt and his size and arm strength, Howard would be a good choice to give a chance to.

Howard also won a national championship with Ohio State as the starter before being drafted by the Steelers with the 185th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. 

Mason Rudolph is another option the Steelers have; however, Rudolph has been in the league for eight seasons and has not been able to prove anything. He has been a very solid backup and has played in some big games, but he is an overall average player. 

Though Rudolph is not going to be the franchise quarterback, he should start over Rodgers, and if he does start the first few games of the season, it would give the younger players more time to adapt. 

If Rodgers does make a return to the Steelers, Rudolph will probably be traded or released.

The new rookie, Allar, is the final option as of now for the Steelers. Allar had a decent first season at Penn State, but his second season went downhill as the Nittany Lions went 7-6 in the 2025 season. 

Against Northwestern early in the season, Allar went down with a broken left ankle and sat out the rest of the year. 

Out of all four of these quarterbacks, Allar is the biggest question mark. Rodgers will be the same as last year, and Rudolph as well. Howard has been with the team for a year, so fans have seen him in the NFL setting. 

Though Allar has a quarterback build, the best option for the Steelers is to let him adapt to the NFL and give Howard a chance to show what he has. Let Rodgers walk and keep Rudolph as an emergency option.