Will Howard has put himself in position to grab the Steelers’ QB2 job, and the buzz in Pittsburgh says the former Ohio State standout is the one to beat.
That battle matters now, but it matters even more for what comes next. Three quarterbacks are in the mix for the No. 2 role in 2026, and the bigger picture is the starting job in 2027 once Aaron Rodgers retires from the NFL. Howard’s offseason and training camp are being treated as a major proving ground, and the early read out of Pittsburgh is that the spot is “Howard's to lose.”
The competition isn’t empty. Mason Rudolph has been around the Steelers for eight seasons and has spent most of that time as a backup, with his one real run as the starter coming in 2019 after serving as the second option behind Ben Roethlisberger.
Since then, he has picked up only a handful of spot starts. Howard’s appeal is straightforward: he’s cheaper, and the team believes he may offer more.
Then there’s Drew Allar, a 2026 draft pick taken in the fourth round. The Steelers viewed him as a lottery ticket, but he’s also a higher investment than Howard, who came in as a sixth-round pick. Even so, Allar has been described as far away from meaningful snaps, which keeps the focus squarely on Howard and Rudolph for now.
Howard’s case isn’t just about cost or draft status. He’s also seen as the kind of presence Pittsburgh wants in its locker room. Rodgers, in their first year together, took Howard under his wing and pushed him to become a leader inside the room.
The question is whether the game itself catches up enough to match the intangibles. Howard’s arm talent is still the biggest concern. He doesn’t have the steady arm strength NFL teams want, and while he is accurate, he is not quite NFL-accurate yet.
That doesn’t close the door. It just means there’s work ahead. If Howard shows he has made the necessary strides, he could force the Steelers’ hand and lock down the QB2 job.
In Other News...
Michigan Finally Faces The Reckoning Ohio State Fans Wanted
Michigans athletic department is staring down another ugly chapter, with the football program under investigation for multiple scandals that have already put the school on the defensive. The allegations include illegal scouting and an inappropriate relationship, and the fallout has only deepened the sense that this is no longer just about one bad episode but a broader institutional mess.
For Ohio State fans, the intrigue is obvious because the Buckeyes have spent plenty of time dealing with Michigan on the field while watching the off-field drama swirl around Ann Arbor. Athletic director Warde Manuel is now at the center of the latest uncertainty, and the full investigation report should bring a clearer picture of how far the damage goes and what kind of leadership changes may follow. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces A Huge Recruiting Week With QB Pressure Rising
Ohio States 2027 class already sits inside the top 10 nationally and carries the kind of per-player quality that keeps the Buckeyes in the middle of almost every major recruiting conversation. Even with that foundation, the next few days matter because the staff is still working through a cluster of high-end decisions, with quarterback Lukas Prock now listing Ohio State among his top five schools and giving the Buckeyes another chance to stay in the mix at the position.
The bigger pressure point is how the board could shift around those announcements, especially with wide receiver Monshun Sales and defensive lineman Karlos May both nearing decisions. Sales is expected to go first, and while Ohio State remains part of the conversation, the Buckeyes are not being viewed as the front-runner there, which only raises the importance of what happens next as the class keeps taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Loses Top In State Recruit To SEC Powerhouse
A prized in-state offensive tackle from Youngstown has already given Ohio State a reminder of how unforgiving recruiting can be, especially when the Buckeyes are trying to keep building around the line of scrimmage. Anthony Blalock Jr., one of the more coveted big men in the 2028 class, had been a name worth watching for a program that continues to lean heavily into trench recruiting while sitting at No. 7 in the 2027 cycle with 18 commitments.
Blalocks choice stings because this is the kind of Ohio prospect Ohio State usually expects to keep home, particularly with the Buckeyes need to stockpile elite offensive linemen. Instead, a different heavyweight program won the battle, leaving Ohio State to regroup and keep pressing on a board where every top in-state miss carries extra weight. [Read more 🡒]