Mike McCarthy’s first training camp with the Steelers has already changed the feel of Latrobe, and the ripple effects are showing up everywhere from the quarterback room to the backfield.
For a team that spent years under Mike Tomlin, the switch is impossible to miss. The practices are earlier and more up-tempo, and the summer sessions no longer feature live tackling or the benches that used to sit along the field. McCarthy has put his own stamp on camp, and so far the results have been well received.
That change has come with a roster that still has real questions, even as Aaron Rodgers heads toward what he says will be his final season. The Steelers are banking on Rodgers to help push them toward a playoff run, but the veteran quarterback’s “last rodeo” also means this is the end of the line for his career. Pittsburgh believes he can still be the guy who finally gets them out of their playoff drought, even if fans are less convinced.
On defense, the Steelers are at least trying something different. Patrick Graham is running the unit, and that alone marks a shift after years of Mike Tomlin leaning on defensive coordinators who often felt like figureheads.
It’s still too early to know whether Graham will thrive or stumble, but he is not simply throwing the defense into the same old pass-rush-heavy approach that regularly exposed the secondary. He appears to have his own plan.
The rookie class is another area where camp is starting to clarify the picture. Not all ten draft picks are expected to stick on the roster, but several could matter right away.
Max Iheanachor is gaining traction and should end up starting at right tackle at some point this season. Outside of Drew Allar, the rest of the players taken in the top three rounds have a chance to see the field this year, with Germie Bernard and Daylen Everette both expected to play major roles.
Quarterback depth is still unsettled behind Rodgers, though the early edge seems to belong to Mason Rudolph. Will Howard and Rudolph are battling for the backup job, but neither has clearly separated from the other.
McCarthy has been more complimentary of Rudolph so far, and if that trend continues, Howard could be the odd man out. He has upside, but Pittsburgh may prefer to keep the veteran.
The running back pecking order has also been worth watching. Rico Dowdle has been getting more first-team work than Jaylen Warren, which makes for an intriguing camp storyline.
The Steelers appear set to have a solid one-two punch there, though Warren looks lined up as the third-down option. It’s the kind of detail that could keep mattering as the season goes on.
And then there is Allar, who has shown why the Steelers are intrigued and why he still needs time. The rookie quarterback has flashed a promising skill set, including a willingness to attack downfield, but the rough edges are still there.
The good plays have been followed by some ugly ones, and consistency remains the issue. For now, he looks like a quarterback who needs more development before he can be trusted to do much more.
In Other News...
Steelers Suddenly Have A Mason Rudolph Decision They Didnt Expect
Mason Rudolph entered camp looking like the clear favorite to sit behind Aaron Rodgers on the Steelers quarterback depth chart, but the picture has become a little more complicated than that. Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar are in the mix too, which means Pittsburgh suddenly has a real decision to make on a player who was expected to provide a steady, familiar hand as the backup.
The twist is that Rudolph has also surfaced in trade chatter, with Houston mentioned as a possible landing spot as it looks for extra quarterback depth. For Pittsburgh, it leaves an awkward question: keep the veteran insurance policy in place, or see whether the younger options can force their way into the No. 2 role and make Rudolph expendable if the right offer comes along. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers QB Battle Puts Will Howards Future In Serious Doubt
The Steelers quarterback room already looks crowded for 2026, and the squeeze could make Will Howard the odd man out. Pittsburgh currently has Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar and Howard on the depth chart, giving the organization more options than it can realistically carry long term. That has turned Howards standing into a real question as the roster picture starts to come into focus.
The discussion around who stays and who goes has also grown louder because the debate is not simply about keeping four arms around. Andrew Fillipponi and former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have both gone on record favoring Howard over Rudolph for retention and playing time, which adds another layer to an already tricky decision. For a team trying to map out its future behind center, the next move could say plenty about how it views Howards place in it. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Allar Just Gave Steelers Fans A New Reason To Wonder
Drew Allar made his first preseason appearance look about as smooth as a rookie quarterback can hope for, showing the kind of poise that can quickly get a fan base talking. The Steelers quarterback completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and two touchdowns, and he added a rushing score as well, a debut that naturally gave Pittsburgh plenty to chew on after a summer of waiting to see how he would look in live action.
The bigger picture, though, is still the same for now. Aaron Rodgers is slated to open the season as the starter, with Will Howard ahead of Allar on the depth chart, so this was not a performance that changes the immediate pecking order. Even so, a strong first impression from a young passer tends to linger in Pittsburgh, especially when fans are already drawing their own comparisons to what he did in college under James Franklin. [Read more 🡒]