The quarterback position is the most important in all of sports. A big part of what Omar Khan has been working on over the past year or so is formulating a long-term plan to find the next franchise quarterback. This week, in particular, is a huge step in that process.

No, the crop of quarterbacks in this year's class is not overwhelming. However, that doesn't mean the Steelers can continue to put off finding their next franchise guy. That's why this week, not only have Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan met with Alabama's Ty Simpson, which I reported Thursday afternoon, but they've also met with Penn State's Drew Allar and at least one other quarterback that's projected to be selected on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.

From what I hear, the meetings with Simpson and Allar both went very well. In particular, Allar impressed with his processing and retaining information.

But all of this, meeting with quarterbacks that aren't slam-dunk franchise guys, doesn't matter if they cannot be developed. In his introductory press conference, McCarthy was very open about how important it is to develop the whole quarterback room, not just focus solely on whoever's the starting quarterback.

Yes, to reinforce what I've already reported, the Steelers want Aaron Rodgers back in 2026. And based on conversations I've had this week, I'd be truly surprised if he's not Pittsburgh's starting quarterback for the 2026 season. However, there are steps being put into place to develop the whole quarterback room, which could very well include a rookie quarterback and Will Howard, who's going into his second NFL season and doesn't have any NFL snaps under his belt.

That plan for development is already underway. Khan said this week that he and McCarthy have already watched back tape from Steelers' practices on Howard. And, I cannot stress enough how much this regime is dedicated to developing Howard. They really, really like him a lot. One source on staff told me this week Howard has everything that's required between the ears. They love his competitive drive. They love the fact that he's a big body. 

Yet, the reason why you won't see them hand Howard the keys to the car just yet is because there's still work to be done. Once again, he has yet to take a single snap in an NFL stadium. They really like his make up, but firmly believe Howard has to take another step forward before he can truly get his shot to be the starter.

However, there are more resources going into quarterback development under this coaching staff than the previous one. That goes without saying, since McCarthy's worked with quarterbacks for decades. But, that work toward development is already underway. And those same resources would be available for any quarterback that's potentially drafted in April.

While it's refreshing to see this organization take concrete steps toward prioritizing quarterback development, it doesn't change the fact that neither Howard nor any rookie would be able to start right away. That's why Rodgers is coveted. That's why McCarthy answered the question the way he did the day he signed his contract. It also helps that Rodgers openly took Howard under his wing last season. That's one more resource at the disposal of Howard or any rookie quarterback.

As far as where Mason Rudolph fits in all of this, it's to be determined. Of course, he'd be treated as any other quarterback in the room. But, there's a very real chance the Steelers go into training camp this summer with Rodgers, Howard, Rudolph and a rookie quarterback taken in the draft. The Steelers likely won't roster four quarterbacks, so somebody would be on the outside looking in.

If you're afraid that bringing Rodgers back is just running it back, nothing I've heard this week suggests that's the stance of the organization. Just about everything else I've heard is geared toward the future. That's why they're investing in Howard, and that's why you're seeing meetings with Simpson, Allar and others.

MORE STEELERS

• While Simpson's meeting with the Steelers went well, I'm not yet convinced they'd take him at 21st overall. Maybe that'll change after they meet with him at the Alabama pro day and/or bring him in for a pre-draft visit. As of now, I don't think quarterback's in play in the first round. That is, of course, subject to change. The offseason is fluid. -- Chris Halicke

• With all the focus on quarterback, it almost doesn't matter of there are no wide receivers. In the Steelers' search for receivers, whether it be in free agency or -- more specifically -- the draft, the preference in McCarthy's offense is to get taller wide receivers. If they are considering any smaller receivers, it'd be because they have some sort of special trait, such as elite speed, ability to return punts, etc. -- Chris Halicke

• Of the defensive backs with whom the Steelers have interviewed, and there have been several of those, one receiver is consistently mentioned as the best one they've gone up against: Texas A&M's KC Concepcion. -- Chris Halicke

• Karl Dunbar was initially told he was going to have a chance to interview with the head coach once one was hired. However, one source told me he wound up never being given the chance to interview. This was a bit shocking to me, given the level of respect Dunbar has not only in Pittsburgh, but throughout the league. -- Chris Halicke

• Of the new coaches that have been hired to work under McCarthy, C.J. Ah You might become one of the most popular. Not only have Texas Tech players raved about him here at the Combine, but his name has come up in interviews with the Steelers this week. Those hosting the informal interviews, in particular, have taken notice of it. -- Chris Halicke

• The Combine is a week in which stories fly between conversations that happen all throughout the week. I've heard several stories this week that further reinforced the Steelers' decision to trade George Pickens. In fact, receiving a third-round pick for him, based on what I heard this week, is truly incredible. The only thing I can say is the Steelers were already considering not giving Pickens a long-term extension before the end of the 2023 season. His antics in the locker room were already becoming a huge problem, and his actions throughout the 2024 season just solidified that feeling. -- Chris Halicke

• The Steelers ranked dead last in the NFLPA report cards. This is not surprising at all, especially with the way the playing surface was torn up during the team's Week 6 win over the Browns at Acrisure Stadium. I'm told Art Rooney II has to make a decision this year on whether to renovate the current facility or build a new one. The lease on the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex is up before the end of the decade, forcing Rooney's hand to either build or upgrade. -- Chris Halicke

• One more thing on the quality of the facility on the South Side. After the small renovations were done to the locker room early in the 2025 season, I spoke with one player who had played elsewhere in their NFL career. I said, "Some nice upgrades to the locker room, huh?" That player then responded, first tilting his head with a derisive expression, said, "It's still not like other facilities." -- Chris Halicke

• The Steelers want to bring back a few of their internal free agents. The top priority is Kenneth Gainwell. James Pierre is near the top of the list, too. However, based on what I've heard this week, I have serious doubts Isaac Seumalo will return. Spencer Anderson could get a real look at left guard. Also, one name to watch for in free agency: Connor McGovern. He's most recently played center for the Bills, but he's logged more snaps at left guard than any other spot on the offensive line in his career. McGovern also played for McCarthy in Dallas. -- Chris Halicke

• One thing that surprised me most this week: From what I've heard -- and seen -- almost none of the new coaches on staff are here. McCarthy's been here, as he's hosted the formal meetings with players. But, I usually run into just about every position coach throughout the week. This year, I've yet to encounter any of them. That's not normal. I don't have a reason for why they wouldn't be here this week, but it sure is peculiar. From what I was told by one source, scouts and other player personnel staff have hosted the informal meetings. -- Chris Halicke

PENGUINS

• I was chatting with Avery Hayes earlier this week about Wilkes-Barre/Scranton and he mentioned that he thinks one of his teammates is "very similar to me," both in terms of playing style and the quick rise up while on an AHL contract: Center/wing Atley Calvert.

Calvert, 22, is a second-year pro with Wilkes-Barre after splitting last year between Wheeling and Wilkes-Barre. His 28 points (10 goals, 18 assists) in 51 games rank fourth in team scoring, behind Tristan Broz (33), Ville Koivunen (31) and Hayes (30). It's not far off from Hayes' pace of production last year in his season that earned him an NHL contract, when he put up 42 points (23 goals, 19  assists) in 60 games.

"He's awesome," Hayes told me of Calvert. "I mean, we have so much depth there right now, so he's kind of playing a different role than he was in the middle part of the year. But he's so versatile. He can play anywhere up and down the lineup, and he can play PP, PK, and he brings that grit factor. And right now he's on that fourth line, that fourth line's been awesome for us. He's an amazing player and a great guy too. We play pretty similar games. We both play pretty hard, and we're great friends off the ice too. So it's been really cool to see. And he's only going to keep going up."

Multiple coaches in the organization last year pointed out to me that Hayes is comparable player to Calvert. Calvert's got size that Hayes doesn't though, at 6 foot 1 and 196 pounds. 

The Penguins struck some kind of gold in Hayes, turning an undrafted, AHL-contracted forward into an NHL player in a pretty short span. They might have the next Hayes in the system already. -- Taylor Haase

• Dan Muse gave a pretty long, impassioned speech to the group on Monday about the importance of coming out of the break strong and pushing for the playoffs. "We know what we have here" was the sentiment, even if Sidney Crosby was going to miss time. -- Taylor Haase

• Kyle Dubas wasn't around practice at all since coming back from Milan, at least in terms of actually watching the practice. Hard at work with the phones, presumably. Jason Spezza kept an eye on the happenings on the ice. -- Taylor Haase

• I was talking with Arturs Silovs after he got back from Milan, and he said he felt like the ice being slightly shorter than NHL ice made a difference. "Every shot was closer," he said. -- Taylor Haase

• International hockey rules are much more strict on goaltender interference, having less tolerance for any kind of contact in the crease, something that helped Latvia out in their game against the U.S. in round-robin play. Silovs thought the goal that got waived off for goaltender interference vs. the U.S. would have counted in the NHL, and he said he actually preferred the NHL rules over the strict IIHF definition of goaltender interference. He likes battling, even if he's not totally sure what the NHL considers goaltender interference. -- Taylor Haase

• One new face in the locker room after the break: Connor Dewar. As in, an actual new face. He got rid of his mustache. I asked him why, and he said he just got tired of looking at it. -- Taylor Haase

PIRATES

• Henry Davis can’t help but smile when someone mentions Jacob Stallings and the impact he’ll have now that he’s part of the organization as a specialist in the baseball operations department. 

That’s partly because when Davis was taken with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 Major League Baseball Draft, Stallings was one of the first ones to reach out to him, a simple gesture that clearly meant more than one could imagine. 

“He means a lot to me,” Davis said of Stallings, who won a Gold Glove at catcher with the Pirates that same year. “Within a couple days of me being drafted, he’s calling me, helping me through things and letting me pick his brain. Having that opportunity again and having him back in the black and gold, it means a lot.” 

Stallings isn’t far removed from that Gold Glove-winning season and he’s now focused on imparting wisdom on the catchers in camp, including another former first-round pick in Joey Bart, as well as Rafael Flores and Endy Rodriguez. Stallings spent some time with the catching group the first week at Pirate City and is expected to pop in and out at times during spring training and the regular season. 

“He knows what we do on a day-to-day basis, he did it himself, and it's kind of good to have somebody around that understands us on a deeper level, like more depth,” Flores told me. “He's also awesome. He's super friendly to talk to, super easy to talk to. I picked his brain a little bit. We talked about a lot of stuff receiving-wise and we’re both the same body type; super tall, lengthy and we worked on a lot of left-knee down stuff. Some of the cues and things he helped me with throwing-wise, I’m probably going to use throughout the course of the years. I'm kind of hoping he sticks around and we continue to chat about that stuff because it's going to be good to talk about it while games are going on too, because I can give him feedback. The thing about him is he understands the lingo, he understands the language. So if I can have feedback from him on a game basis, that's going to be so much better.” — By José Negron in Bradenton, Fla.

• A former first-round pick who was at one time considered the top catching prospect in baseball, Bart isn’t unfamiliar with being around good, quality and experienced catchers in camp. During his first spring training in 2019, he recalls spending time with the likes of Rene Rivera, Stephen Vogt, Cameron Rupp and, of course, Buster Posey. The knowledge he absorbed from them reminds him of what he and the younger guys can gain from a former catcher of Stallings’ caliber. 

“I think the week he was here was awesome, and I definitely felt it when he left,” Bart told me. “I just liked him being around. He brings a lot of experience to the group. It’s a guy that's played, he's done it at the highest level. He’s a Gold Glover and had a hell of a career, so just getting to learn from him about whatever he has on receiving, defensive stuff, game calling, how to navigate baseball games, all that he’s there to provide, he’s as sharp as they come. It benefits us all.” — By José Negron

• Nick Gonzales’ offseason included being inducted into the New Mexico State Athletics Hall of Fame and the Cape Cod Baseball League Hall of Fame. Gonzales finished his collegiate career with a .399 batting average, 37 home runs and 152 RBIs over 128 games. He won the NCAA batting title with a .432 average in 2019 and was named the Cape Cod League MVP that same summer. Gonzales also led the Cotuit Kettleers to the Cape Cod League championship in 2019. 

“I was super excited when I got the news,” Gonzales said. “Definitely something I didn’t really think about. Super honored to be a part of that. Family got to go out and we enjoyed it. Just to be a part of such an incredible, prestigious place like the Cape Cod, and then my college as well, it’s really an honor for me.” — By José Negron

• Everyone knows how good Konnor Griffin is. But what might just be as impressive is the fact that everyone I talk to, players and coaches alike, rave about the humble, down-to-earth attitude he carries himself with. Impressive for a 19-year-old kid who just so happens to be the consensus top prospect in all of baseball. Despite all the hype, he remains his usual modest self. Everyone within this organization knows that this, in addition to his talent, will take him a long way. — By José Negron

• Part of Kyle Nicolas’ excitement to participate in the World Baseball Classic stems from the fact that he’ll get to play under former Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli. 

“I know he’s a legend in Pittsburgh, and New York as well,” Nicolas told me. “A lot of the guys around here and a lot of the staff know him from his time here and they’ve only had great things to say about him. I’m excited to play for him. I met him here a couple days ago and he seems awesome. He’s going to be a great leader for us.” — By José Negron