Both sides of this prolonged dance have been here before, having dallied with each other for months at this time a year ago before eventually committing to a season-long partnership. A second spin seemed implausible seven months ago, but after Rodgers helped the Steelers reach the postseason in 2025, mutual interest appeared between the two parties both before and after Pittsburgh made the surprising decision to hire McCarthy, the hometown kid with a face that is acutely familiar to Rodgers.
Pittsburgh seemed confident enough for Steelers owner Art Rooney II to publicly state in late March he expected an answer from Rodgers “by the draft,” yet it now seems the Steelers will have to continue to wait.
They’ve somewhat hedged against this (and a worst-case scenario of Rodgers not returning to football at all) by pushing a narrative of rising confidence in Howard, a Day 3 pick in 2025 (185th overall) who saw zero regular-season action as a rookie, but has somehow managed to impress the entire organization. He’ll logically man the QB1 role in spring workouts and could find himself in an unexpected battle for the starting job in July and August if Rodgers’ absence continues.
Still, that’s a secondary plan at best, one that the Steelers might have to prepare for by selecting another developmental QB prospect and push a possible roster limit conflict (i.e., trade Rudolph elsewhere at the end of camp) into the late stages of summer. Without a guarantee from Rodgers prior to the draft, everything becomes a bit less stable, even if only temporarily.
Then again, it wouldn’t be an offseason without weeks spent wondering about Rodgers’ future. Pittsburgh will do its best to navigate the tiresome period while also keeping an eye on the future.
