One of the biggest storylines under the microscope at Pittsburgh Steelers training camp is the quarterback position. However, fans aren't necessarily focused on Aaron Rodgers' status. Instead, many are paying close attention to the backup quarterbacks for several reasons. The primary storyline is the backup competition between Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. There's also growing intrigue surrounding former Penn State quarterback Drew Allar. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly has been on site throughout camp and recently made an interesting observation, saying he believes Allar has a slight edge over Howard.
On the Steelers Collective podcast, Kaboly explained that Allar has made more plays than Howard.
“Will Howard has a long way to go … He’ll make your occasional good throw, but he’ll make your multiple poor decisions and poor throws,” Kaboly said. “I would think Drew Allar has played a little bit better than him right now.”
It's still early in training camp with two different expectations
The Steelers are only in their second week of training camp, leaving plenty of time for the quarterback battle to evolve. Allar has been one of the biggest surprises for both fans and the media, but the reality is that he's unlikely to see game action in 2026 unless something unexpected happens. Howard, meanwhile, has much more at stake in his second training camp. While he's still relatively inexperienced, he has already earned praise from both head coach Mike McCarthy and Rodgers.
The pressure is on Howard to take the next step. Allar looking "a little bit better" isn't necessarily alarming, but it does highlight that Howard still has room for growth. Howard currently sits behind Rudolph on the depth chart, but that doesn't mean the competition is settled. He'll need to show noticeable improvement over the coming weeks. Not only in practice, but also when he takes his first live game snaps since January 2025.
Preseason will provide the real evaluation
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Howard hasn't taken a live, competitive snap since January 2025, when he was the quarterback at Ohio State. Since then, all of his work has come in practices and warmups. Last training camp, he suffered a hand injury just days before the Steelers' first preseason game, preventing him from getting valuable live reps. This preseason will mark his first game action as a professional.
Allar will also be under the microscope, although he last played meaningful snaps in November. Howard may show some rust after such a long layoff, but he'll also have an opportunity to demonstrate his development.
One advantage for Howard is that he'll get those preseason reps at Acrisure Stadium. While preseason crowds aren't typically hostile, playing at home should provide a more comfortable environment. Training camp practices offer valuable insight, but the true evaluation of this quarterback competition will begin once the Steelers take the field for preseason games.
