After spending a season out of football, Mike McCarthy is back in a big way. The new head coach of the Pittsburgh Steelers landed one of the best jobs in football, but there’s some work to do before they can return as Super Bowl contenders.
For one, the Steelers don’t even know who their starting quarterback will be next season. While some speculation suggests they could welcome Aaron Rodgers back, especially now that his former Packers head coach has been hired, that’s no guarantee.
Plus, Rodgers is a free agent for the second time in as many years. While the Steelers would likely get first dibs at negotiating another contract with the future Hall of Famer, the Steelers have to keep filling out the rest of the QB room.
Rodgers’ primary backup QB, Mason Rudolph, will still be under contract for 2026. But another backup, Skylar Thompson, won’t be.
That means the only QBs currently under contract in Pittsburgh are Rudolph and 24-year-old QB Will Howard, the 185th overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, McCarthy may be a big fan of Pittsburgh’s sixth-round selection.
According to the NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, McCarthy “liked Howard a lot” when studying QB prospects from last year’s draft class. His presence in the QB room could make the Steelers less aggressive when targeting other signal-callers this offseason. Yet, putting too much faith in a player whohas yet to make an NFL pass is a risk, even if he did lead Ohio State to a College Football Playoff National Championship in his final collegiate season.
Still, as a new coaching staff takes over, it never hurts to have a fan inside the building if you’re a late-round selection heading into your second season in the NFL. Howard may have found his, now it’s up to him to make a strong first impression when it’s time to show what he can do at the pro level.
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