Roethlisberger Favors Howard Over Allar on Steelers Depth Chart
Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger prefers second-year quarterback Will Howard over rookie Drew Allar. On his "Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger" podcast, the franchise's career leader in passing yards (64,088) and touchdowns (418) said Howard "jumped off the tape" more than Allar. Roethlisberger offered a more reserved assessment of Allar, whom the Steelers selected at No. 76 in the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Steelers placed an unrestricted free-agent tender on veteran Aaron Rodgers, who guided the team to a 10-7 record and AFC North title last season, though Rodgers has not signed and the 2026 starting quarterback remains unclear. Pittsburgh chose Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft after his collegiate career at Kansas State (2020-23) and a transfer to Ohio State in 2024, where he won a national championship. Howard sat out his entire 2025 rookie season.
In his 2024 championship season, Howard passed for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and a 175.3 passer rating while completing 73.0% of his passes. He led the Big Ten in passing yards, touchdowns and completion percentage, and added 226 rushing yards with seven scores. Allar, a former five-star recruit, averaged 2,979 passing yards, 24.5 touchdowns, five interceptions and a 145.2 passer rating across his two full seasons as Penn State's starter in 2023-24, completing 63.2% of his passes; his 2025 season ended after six games with a broken ankle.
The Steelers' quarterback room features Allar, Howard and Mason Rudolph, who has made 14 starts across two stints with Pittsburgh (2018-23 and 2025-present). Roethlisberger said of Allar: "I'm not sure yet if I love it or hate it ... there was never a time when I was like, 'Whoa.' The jury's still out for me right now."
