What's long been suspected to happen is how happening. Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract that'll once again make him their starting quarterback. But, how does this affect the rest of the quarterback room?
After all, the Steelers already had Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar in the fold. That's one veteran and two young guys. And, Mike McCarthy has repeatedly said this offseason that he normally carries three quarterbacks. Yet, at rookie minicamp, McCarthy addressed the lone question about Rodgers in a welcoming way.
"I mean, three quarterbacks is the normal," McCarthy said with a big smile. "Four would be awesome."
Now, it's standard practice for the Steelers to carry four quarterbacks into training camp. It protects the depth of the room in the case of injury. But, how does this all shake out? Will McCarthy seriously consider carrying a fourth quarterback when the roster is cut down to 53 players? Will Rodgers' presence negatively impact the development that needs to happen for Howard and Allar? And, will McCarthy be comfortable with a scenario that includes Rodgers and two other quarterbacks that have yet to log a single snap in an NFL stadium?
Regardless of how it looks, McCarthy is ready to take on the challenge of putting this quarterback room together.
"It's about the quarterback room. I've always approached it that way. I learned it that way as a young coach. It's about training the whole room together," McCarthy said at the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. "This is the goal. This is the outlook. We talked about it in my interview. Just from a philosophical standpoint, we want to have a healthy quarterback room that we're always developing. It's the most important position maybe in sports. It's very difficult. There's a lot that goes into that. We have a way of how the quarterback will be trained here. I've done it a long time. It's great to have two really young guys that I'm excited about."
Based on what I've heard throughout this process, regardless of McCarthy's comment from rookie minicamp, I have a hard time seeing the Steelers carry more than three quarterbacks during the season. My expectation all along has been the trio of Rodgers, Howard and Allar will be on the roster come Week 1, though I think it's irresponsible to completely write off Rudolph.
Should Howard show up to training camp and not show he has what it takes, McCarthy could go with a room that includes Rodgers, Rudolph and Allar. McCarthy has never had a room going into camp in which both of the quarterbacks behind the starter had zero snaps in the regular season or preseason. The closest was probably when Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm backed up Rodgers in 2008, but even then, Brett Favre was still the starter going into camp (he was later traded to the Jets in August). While I'm inclined to believe McCarthy really wants to develop Howard, there is even the slightest possibility that Rudolph proves his value while Howard becomes a distant fourth.
At the same time, the Steelers didn't just spend the first of three third-round picks on Allar just to cut him a few months later. So, of the two young quarterbacks, Allar has the more secure spot. He also has the higher upside.
All of that said, McCarthy has talked up Howard from the time he interviewed for the job back in January. And, it's not just McCarthy. Others inside the organization truly believe Howard can develop into something long term. To throw that away after months of dedicating resources to Howard's development seems ... unlikely.
While McCarthy's never had a room with a proven starter and two other quarterbacks void of game experience, he doesn't seem to fear that potential scenario.
"I will coach the hell out of that room," McCarthy said in April. "I have a lot of confidence. I have history and experience that I will give everything I can to any quarterback in that room. So we want to grow the quarterback room. We don't want to just rely on one quarterback."
So, if McCarthy really is fine with the idea of two inexperienced quarterbacks behind a veteran starter, why go with Rodgers? Why not just go with the three that were already in house? The answer's simple: The Steelers believe Rodgers gives them a better chance to win in 2026 than any other quarterback they had already.
There's no indication that McCarthy or anyone else believes Howard or Allar are capable of starting this season. If they did think that, Howard would likely be the starter right away and there'd be no need to reunite with Rodgers. Allar has so much to clean up with his footwork that him starting is even more out of the question. So, it really makes this more about them believing Rodgers gives them a better chance to compete than with Rudolph.
With Rodgers, the Steelers just went 10-7 and won the AFC North. And, they did that without the depth the team now has at wide receiver. Rodgers will have more weapons at his disposal. He'll be playing in an offense he knows better than any other he's played in, and for a coach that knows him better than any other. After all, the two spent 13 seasons together and won a Super Bowl during that time.
At the same time, there still is reason to be skeptical. Rodgers will turn 43 in December. He can't move the way he used to, which was part of what made him one of the greatest to ever play the position. Every now and then, Rodgers could make those plays happen in 2025, but they were few and far between. And, because he could make those plays happen every now and then, it didn't deter him from trying when he wasn't moving as well or playing higher-caliber defenses.
Even so, the Steelers truly valued their experience with Rodgers in 2025. They raved about his leadership, both on and off the field. They love what he's able to do before the snap. And now with McCarthy and more weapons around him, the Steelers feel good about having Rodgers at the helm again.
Should the trio be Rodgers, Howard and Allar, the Steelers could try and acquire some draft capital for Rudolph. It'd probably be best to wait until after training camp to execute any trade, waiting for injuries to occur around the league and capitalize on potential desperation from teams to add experienced quarterbacks. And, keeping Rudolph through the summer is also insurance for any potential injuries that take place in Latrobe.
One final note: Having Rodgers start does not drastically impact the development of Howard and Allar. Again, neither one was going to start this season. Had Rodgers decided to hang it up after 21 seasons, Rudolph would have been in line to start. Howard and Allar will develop this season the same way many quarterbacks have developed over the history of this game, including Rodgers himself: As a backup or third-stringer. Remember, Rodgers sat for three years before he became the starter in Green Bay. McCarthy was the one who worked with him during two of those three seasons. Developing while not starting is common practice.
And really, from the Steelers' perspective, bringing Rodgers back for another season isn't kicking the can down the road. The bottom line is this franchise has two young quarterbacks that will be developed this year -- two guys that have a chance to prove in their various opportunities that they're worth a longer look in 2027. At the same time, they believe Rodgers gives them the best chance to compete this year.
Rodgers is expected to sign his contract and be with the team when OTAs begin on Monday, which became the final deadline for the team in waiting for him. So, with this finally all behind us, now we get to see how it'll all play out.
THE ASYLUM
How Rodgers impacts quarterback outlook
What's long been suspected to happen is how happening. Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers have agreed to terms on a one-year contract that'll once again make him their starting quarterback. But, how does this affect the rest of the quarterback room?
After all, the Steelers already had Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar in the fold. That's one veteran and two young guys. And, Mike McCarthy has repeatedly said this offseason that he normally carries three quarterbacks. Yet, at rookie minicamp, McCarthy addressed the lone question about Rodgers in a welcoming way.
"I mean, three quarterbacks is the normal," McCarthy said with a big smile. "Four would be awesome."
Now, it's standard practice for the Steelers to carry four quarterbacks into training camp. It protects the depth of the room in the case of injury. But, how does this all shake out? Will McCarthy seriously consider carrying a fourth quarterback when the roster is cut down to 53 players? Will Rodgers' presence negatively impact the development that needs to happen for Howard and Allar? And, will McCarthy be comfortable with a scenario that includes Rodgers and two other quarterbacks that have yet to log a single snap in an NFL stadium?
Regardless of how it looks, McCarthy is ready to take on the challenge of putting this quarterback room together.
"It's about the quarterback room. I've always approached it that way. I learned it that way as a young coach. It's about training the whole room together," McCarthy said at the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft. "This is the goal. This is the outlook. We talked about it in my interview. Just from a philosophical standpoint, we want to have a healthy quarterback room that we're always developing. It's the most important position maybe in sports. It's very difficult. There's a lot that goes into that. We have a way of how the quarterback will be trained here. I've done it a long time. It's great to have two really young guys that I'm excited about."
Based on what I've heard throughout this process, regardless of McCarthy's comment from rookie minicamp, I have a hard time seeing the Steelers carry more than three quarterbacks during the season. My expectation all along has been the trio of Rodgers, Howard and Allar will be on the roster come Week 1, though I think it's irresponsible to completely write off Rudolph.
Should Howard show up to training camp and not show he has what it takes, McCarthy could go with a room that includes Rodgers, Rudolph and Allar. McCarthy has never had a room going into camp in which both of the quarterbacks behind the starter had zero snaps in the regular season or preseason. The closest was probably when Matt Flynn and Brian Brohm backed up Rodgers in 2008, but even then, Brett Favre was still the starter going into camp (he was later traded to the Jets in August). While I'm inclined to believe McCarthy really wants to develop Howard, there is even the slightest possibility that Rudolph proves his value while Howard becomes a distant fourth.
At the same time, the Steelers didn't just spend the first of three third-round picks on Allar just to cut him a few months later. So, of the two young quarterbacks, Allar has the more secure spot. He also has the higher upside.
All of that said, McCarthy has talked up Howard from the time he interviewed for the job back in January. And, it's not just McCarthy. Others inside the organization truly believe Howard can develop into something long term. To throw that away after months of dedicating resources to Howard's development seems ... unlikely.
While McCarthy's never had a room with a proven starter and two other quarterbacks void of game experience, he doesn't seem to fear that potential scenario.
"I will coach the hell out of that room," McCarthy said in April. "I have a lot of confidence. I have history and experience that I will give everything I can to any quarterback in that room. So we want to grow the quarterback room. We don't want to just rely on one quarterback."
So, if McCarthy really is fine with the idea of two inexperienced quarterbacks behind a veteran starter, why go with Rodgers? Why not just go with the three that were already in house? The answer's simple: The Steelers believe Rodgers gives them a better chance to win in 2026 than any other quarterback they had already.
There's no indication that McCarthy or anyone else believes Howard or Allar are capable of starting this season. If they did think that, Howard would likely be the starter right away and there'd be no need to reunite with Rodgers. Allar has so much to clean up with his footwork that him starting is even more out of the question. So, it really makes this more about them believing Rodgers gives them a better chance to compete than with Rudolph.
With Rodgers, the Steelers just went 10-7 and won the AFC North. And, they did that without the depth the team now has at wide receiver. Rodgers will have more weapons at his disposal. He'll be playing in an offense he knows better than any other he's played in, and for a coach that knows him better than any other. After all, the two spent 13 seasons together and won a Super Bowl during that time.
At the same time, there still is reason to be skeptical. Rodgers will turn 43 in December. He can't move the way he used to, which was part of what made him one of the greatest to ever play the position. Every now and then, Rodgers could make those plays happen in 2025, but they were few and far between. And, because he could make those plays happen every now and then, it didn't deter him from trying when he wasn't moving as well or playing higher-caliber defenses.
Even so, the Steelers truly valued their experience with Rodgers in 2025. They raved about his leadership, both on and off the field. They love what he's able to do before the snap. And now with McCarthy and more weapons around him, the Steelers feel good about having Rodgers at the helm again.
Should the trio be Rodgers, Howard and Allar, the Steelers could try and acquire some draft capital for Rudolph. It'd probably be best to wait until after training camp to execute any trade, waiting for injuries to occur around the league and capitalize on potential desperation from teams to add experienced quarterbacks. And, keeping Rudolph through the summer is also insurance for any potential injuries that take place in Latrobe.
One final note: Having Rodgers start does not drastically impact the development of Howard and Allar. Again, neither one was going to start this season. Had Rodgers decided to hang it up after 21 seasons, Rudolph would have been in line to start. Howard and Allar will develop this season the same way many quarterbacks have developed over the history of this game, including Rodgers himself: As a backup or third-stringer. Remember, Rodgers sat for three years before he became the starter in Green Bay. McCarthy was the one who worked with him during two of those three seasons. Developing while not starting is common practice.
And really, from the Steelers' perspective, bringing Rodgers back for another season isn't kicking the can down the road. The bottom line is this franchise has two young quarterbacks that will be developed this year -- two guys that have a chance to prove in their various opportunities that they're worth a longer look in 2027. At the same time, they believe Rodgers gives them the best chance to compete this year.
Rodgers is expected to sign his contract and be with the team when OTAs begin on Monday, which became the final deadline for the team in waiting for him. So, with this finally all behind us, now we get to see how it'll all play out.
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