Former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Isaiahh Loudermilk is signing with the Minnesota Vikings , per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. He joins former Steelers teammate James Pierre , who also signed with Minnesota this offseason. Loudermilk was drafted by the Steelers in the fifth round of the 2021 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. In four seasons with the Steelers, he totaled 63 tackles in 58 games. The Steelers added to their defensive line depth this offseason by signing former Tennessee Titans defensive tackle Sebastian Joseph-Day . Additionally, they drafted Gabriel Rubio out of Notre Dame in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Former Steelers OC Todd Haley weighs in on Will Howard, Mason Rudolph QB battle Mike McCarthy reveals reason for Troy Fautanu, Mason McCormick position changes Aaron Rodgers to retire after 2026 season Aaron Rodgers embracing mentorship role with Drew Allar, Will Howard NFL insider predicts Steelers will cut Will Howard
As veteran QB Aaron Rodgers announces his final season, the Steelers, under new coach Mike McCarthy, are evaluating their quarterback options for 2027. They currently have established backup Mason Rudolph, developmental options Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar, but may explore other solutions
The Steelers currently have four quarterbacks: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar. Steelers coach Mike McCarthy hopes they still have four quarterbacks when the regular season starts. McCarthy said today that he’d like to see Steelers General Manager Omar Khan find a way to keep all of them into the regular season: Rodgers to start, Rudolph to back him up, and both Howard and Allar as developmental prospects. “We’ve definitely got four that we love, I can say that,” McCarthy said. “You always have to develop the room. That’s always been the approach. We’re hoping that Omar can get the roster expanded to 55 and we can keep four. It’s a really good room. This is a good place to be, having four guys that can play.” McCarthy said the rotation behind Rodgers right now is based on the experience of the three backup quarterbacks but that he wants to give all of them plenty of opportunities this offseason while giving Rodgers the right amount of work to keep him fresh and have him ready to start Week One. “Mason has a lot of experience,” McCarthy said. “We’re trying to develop Will and Drew as well as we can. Will is ahead of Drew, just based on the fact that he’s been here.” The most likely scenario is that Howard and Allar will compete for a spot on the 53-man roster, and that the Steelers hope the loser of that competition clears waivers and can be brought back to the practice squad. But McCarthy isn’t ruling out all four of them making the regular-season roster
Steelers coach Mike McCarthy expressed a desire to keep all four quarterbacks (Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar) on the regular-season roster, citing their collective talent and potential for development. While acknowledging the likelihood of Howard and Allar competing for a 53-man spot with a plan for the loser to potentially join the practice squad, McCarthy indicated that keeping all four is a possibility
Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, entering his 22nd season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, is embracing a mentorship role with younger QBs Drew Allar and Will Howard as he prepares for his final campaign
Aaron Rodgers' decision to sign with the Steelers was kept quiet until after the 2026 schedule was finalized, potentially allowing the team to secure more favorable game placements. This speculation arises from past NFL practices where schedule adjustments were made based on player availability and team expectations. The Steelers may have benefited from Rodgers' late commitment, as the timing could have influenced their prime-time game allocations
The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have four quarterbacks on their roster, which will almost certainly change ahead of Week 1 of the 2026 season. It’s incredibly rare for a team to carry four quarterbacks, which means Pittsburgh will have a decision to make – and one NFL insider believes it will be a decision that shocks a lot of fans. While Mike McCarthy has raved about Will Howard since being hired in January, Mike Florio of NBC Sports believes Howard will be the one on the outside looking in. “I think Will Howard’s going to be the odd man out, unless someone gets injured,” Florio said. Florio adds that Rudolph has the advantage due to being a veteran where Howard, and Drew Allar for that matter, have never played an NFL snap. “The thing that helps Mason Rudolph is, if Aaron Rodgers gets injured, who do you want to step in and play right away?” Florio said. Rudolph signed a two-year deal with the Steelers ahead of last season, marking his second stint with the franchise after a one-year stint with the Tennessee Titans . Would you like to see Juju Smith-Schuster back in a Steelers uniform? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments below! Michael Pittman Jr recruiting JuJu Smith-Schuster back to Steelers Steelers to try OT Max Iheanachor at multiple positions Antonio Brown goes off on JuJu Smith-Schuster in social media rant Germie Bernard already impressing Steelers coaches at OTAs Steelers OT Troy Fautanu makes feelings clear on potential position change
The moment the Steelers selected Penn State’s Drew Allar in the 2026 NFL Draft, it became inevitable: We were in for an offseason of quarterback discourse. A few weeks later, Pittsburgh made the long-awaited signing of Aaron Rodgers , leaving the team with four roster-able quarterbacks in the league that tends to only keep three after cutdown day. How do you see it playing out? There’s still a lot of the offseason to play out, but here are my initial thoughts: Rodgers and Allar ( despite what Chris Simms might think ) are the two locks to make the final roster as the starter and a recent top-100 pick, respectively. The battle largely comes down to Will Howard, a 2025 sixth-rounder who couldn’t even make a preseason appearance last year due to injury, and Mason Rudolph , a journeyman backup who has gone 1-5 in his last two seasons of starts. Rudolph is the proven commodity, with 1,484 NFL offensive snaps under his belt at this point. He even helped push the Steelers to a playoff berth with a 3-0 record as a starter at the end of the 2023 season. But against the Bears in 2025, all his limitations — pocket awareness, deep accuracy, processing speed — were on display in a 171-yard, one touchdown, one interception performance. It remains to be seen how Howard’s game translates to the NFL level. He profiled as a plus game manager at Ohio State who could hopefully be an above-average QB2/spot starter in the pros. Long term, it’s reasonable to hope he can be a Rudolph replacement of sorts. Yes, Howard was just a sixth-round pick, but he was widely seen as more of a mid-round talent who slipped down NFL boards due to the segmented value of quarterbacks in the draft. And while it certainly doesn’t mean much, Howard leapfrogged Rudolph on the Steelers’ depth chart to open OTAs on Monday. It’s not worth reading into, but it is more of a vote of confidence in the second-year passer than the alternative. Ultimately, I see the Steelers’ 53-man roster quarterback room being Rodgers/Howard/Allar to open the 2026 season. Howard is younger, cheaper, and possibly has a bit more upside than Rudolph at this point in their respective careers, and the Ohio State product still seems to come with the steady floor that marks a good backup. With a veteran quarterback already in the room in Rodgers, as well as a quarterback-focused head coach in Mike McCarthy, Rudolph’s experience isn’t quite as valuable to the room as it may seem at face value, and he could even provide some trade value. While I expect Pittsburgh to only keep three quarterbacks on the roster during the regular season, it wouldn’t be surprising if the team initially keeps four after cutdown day as it tries to work out a trade. But even if Rudolph does outplay Howard or Allar in the preseason, what is his value as a player for the Steelers in 2026? If Rodgers goes down with an injury, the team knows the season — which already has slim odds at a playoff run — becomes more about the future than the present. If Allar still isn’t ready in that scenario, the team might as well see what it has in Howard, a sixth-rounder who might not get many NFL starting opportunities otherwise. There’s just not much of a reason to give Rudolph starting reps in 2026. There’s also some precedent for the team dropping Rudolph. While it wasn’t under Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh decided to keep rookie third-rounder Mason Rudolph and second-year fourth-rounder Joshua Dobbs over longtime backup Landry Jones ahead of the 2018 NFL season. Why? The Steelers already had a veteran starter in Ben Roethlisberger , and Rudolph/Dobbs offered a better mix of potential, recent investment, and football IQ. We might see a similar story play out ahead of the 2026 NFL season. How do you think the Steelers quarterback situation turns out this offseason? Join the BTSC community and let us know in the comments!
With OTAs beginning for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team is on the field as a whole for the first time in the Mike McCarthy era. While all the attention has been on the quarterback position, specifically Aaron Rodgers returning for a 22nd season, the Steelers’ offensive line has several new faces – most notably, first-round pick Max Iheanachor. The Arizona State product was drafted as a right tackle, but offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio says that they will try him out at multiple positions on the offensive line. “We’ll move him around,” Angelichio said to the media . “[We’ll] take some looks at him [and] see where he fits well. We’ll certainly give him options. He will learn multiple positions.” The Steelers have already seen a ton of movement on their offensive line. On the first day of OTAs during team periods, Troy Fautanu and Mason McCormick went from right tackle and right guard, respectively, to left tackle and left guard. Spencer Anderson was slotted in as the starting right guard and Dylan Cook was in at right tackle. Center Zach Frazier was the only player to stay at his 2025 position. All eyes will be on offensive line coach James Campen and assistant offensive line coach Jahri Evans as they try to find the best combination of players and positions through the rest of the offseason program and training camp. Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Antonio Brown goes off on JuJu Smith-Schuster in social media rant Germie Bernard already impressing Steelers coaches at OTAs Steelers OT Troy Fautanu makes feelings clear on potential position change Steelers QB Will Howard surpasses Mason Rudolph to begin OTAs Steelers make big changes on offensive line to begin OTAs
In terms of talent, Antonio Brown is one of the 10 best players to ever put on a Steelers uniform. It’s what has come after that has really stained his legacy. Since leaving the Steelers, a slew of legal issues and social media rants bashing his former team have led many to sour on the former All-Pro receiver. His latest tirade took aim at former teammate JuJu Smith-Schuster , saying that the Steelers tried to make the USC product a better player than Brown. “And the guy they did wanna make better than me fumbled [our] whole season,” Brown said . “And they still gave him MVP because they didn’t wanna give me the fifth one in a row.” Brown then hinted that this played a big part in him wanting out of Pittsburgh. “What would you do if your own team betrayed you? They tried to make the No. 2 be better than you… how do you give a guy who fumbled our season the f–king MVP? You know why? Because they’re jealous of AB.” Brown is of course referencing the 2018 game in New Orleans agains the Saints in which Smith-Schuster fumbled late in the fourth quarter, which led to the Steelers losing and ultimately cost them a playoff spot after starting the season 7-2-1. Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Germie Bernard already impressing Steelers coaches at OTAs Steelers OT Troy Fautanu makes feelings clear on potential position change Steelers QB Will Howard surpasses Mason Rudolph to begin OTAs Steelers make big changes on offensive line to begin OTAs Steelers rookie changes jersey number ahead of OTAs
The Pittsburgh Steelers have lacked any depth at the wide receiver position for the last several years. With the likes of Van Jefferson , Scotty Miller , Allen Robinson , and Marquez Valdes-Scantling all getting notable snaps in recent memory, Pittsburgh’s receiving corps has rightfully been the butt of many jokes. The Steelers finally addressed their lack of pass-catchers this offseason, trading for Michael Pittman and drafting Germie Bernard out of Alabama in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio was asked about Bernard on Tuesday and raved about his preparation. “He has risen to that challenge with great study habits outside of the building in addition to what he is doing daily,” Angelichio said via Nick Farabaugh . Angelichio also added they feel the confidence to “push the envelope” with Bernard early on. Bernard has a real chance to be the No.3 receiver as the team’s starting slot receiver, with his competition boiling down to third-year receiver Roman Wilson . Ben Skowronek will get a roster spot as the team’s special teams ace, but won’t be called upon as a receiver at anything resembling a high clip. Considering what we’ve seen from Wilson in his first two years, the No. 3 spot feels like Bernard’s to lose. Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Steelers OT Troy Fautanu makes feelings clear on potential position change Steelers QB Will Howard surpasses Mason Rudolph to begin OTAs Steelers make big changes on offensive line to begin OTAs Steelers rookie changes jersey number ahead of OTAs The good and bad with Aaron Rodgers in 2026
With Aaron Rodgers officially on the roster, the Steelers currently have four quarterbacks. Veteran Mason Rudolph , second-year QB Will Howard , and rookie Drew Allar fill out the rest of the room. Rodgers’ presence means there are now fewer reps to go around for the younger players, Howard and Allar. But offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio told reporters on Tuesday that is not an issue. “ You can never have enough quarterbacks ,” Angelichio said, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . “With the system that's in place here, it's great that we have four quarterbacks. We have a plan on how all those guys are going to get reps.” Angelichio is familiar with Rodgers from their shared time with the Packers, as Angelichio served as Green Bay ’s tight ends coach from 2016-2018. With Rodgers potentially going into the final season of his career, Angelichio praised the QB for his willingness to help out his teammates. “ Aaron’s such a great mentor ... His feedback and the information he provides, you can't beat that,” Angelichio said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “He is very willing to help the players … I think that certainly is a big plus for us.” With Rodgers set for at least one more ride with the Steelers in 2026, we likely won’t see the effects of his mentorship on the crop of younger QBs until a while down the road
With Aaron Rodgers officially on the roster, the Steelers currently have four quarterbacks. Veteran Mason Rudolph, second-year QB Will Howard, and rookie Drew Allar fill out the rest of the room. Rodgers’ presence means there are now fewer reps to go around for the younger players, Howard and Allar. But offensive coordinator Brian Angelichio told reporters on Tuesday that is not an issue. “ You can never have enough quarterbacks ,” Angelichio said, via Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . “With the system that’s in place here, it’s great that we have four quarterbacks. We have a plan on how all those guys are going to get reps.” Angelichio is familiar with Rodgers from their shared time with the Packers, as Angelichio served as Green Bay’s tight ends coach from 2016-2018. With Rodgers potentially going into the final season of his career, Angelichio praised the QB for his willingness to help out his teammates. “ Aaron’s such a great mentor ... His feedback and the information he provides, you can’t beat that,” Angelichio said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “He is very willing to help the players … I think that certainly is a big plus for us.” With Rodgers set for at least one more ride with the Steelers in 2026, we likely won’t see the effects of his mentorship on the crop of younger QBs until a while down the road
Steelers OTAs, or organized team activities, kicked off on Monday in Pittsburgh. And despite the practice’s voluntary nature, the team saw good attendance on Day 1 — even newly re-signed quarterback Aaron Rodgers was present. The team still has nine OTAs and a mandatory minicamp before training camp starts later in the summer. The depth charts and roster are still far from complete, and with contact disallowed, plays and drills are a shell of what they’ll be later in the year. Still, Monday’s OTA marked one of the first looks at what the 2026 Steelers are shaping up to be. Below, you can watch some of the video clips and quotes Pittsburgh media members gathered during the viewable portion of practice: Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Steelers QB Will Howard surpasses Mason Rudolph to begin OTAs Steelers OT Troy Fautanu makes feelings clear on potential position change Steelers sign former Pitt cornerback The good and bad with Aaron Rodgers in 2026 Steelers make big changes on offensive line to begin OTAs
Aaron Rodgers returned to the Steelers for the start of Phase III of the club’s offseason program, immediately getting on the field for Monday’s practice. After the session, offensive lineman Troy Fautanu — who has been working at left tackle after spending the 2025 season on the right side — said that he and many of his teammates found out about the QB signing on Instagram. But Fautanu is glad to have the veteran QB leading the huddle again. “I was happy to see him back, obviously to have our leader back from last year, kind of having a year with him and kind of learning from him ,” Fautanu said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “We kind of just picked up where we left off. ”... Today had to get back used to [the cadence], because we’ve been hearing Will [Howard] and Mason [Rudolph] and them the past couple weeks. But once he got back in there after that first snap, it was kind of like we never left.” Rodgers, 42, completed 65.7 percent of his passes for 3,322 yards with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions last season
Steelers offensive lineman Troy Fautanu expressed excitement about Aaron Rodgers' return to the team for offseason workouts, noting that the chemistry between Rodgers and the offense felt seamless from their time together last season. Fautanu, who is transitioning to left tackle, highlighted that the team has adjusted back to Rodgers' cadence after working with other quarterbacks
With quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh , the Steelers now have four quarterbacks on the offseason roster. Eventually, they'll be required to cut the roster to 53. Which could mean they’ll be moving on from one of the three quarterbacks not named Aaron Rodgers. Or will they? Chris Simms and I talked it through during Monday's PFT Live . And we came to the conclusion that they'll possibly keep all of them — Rodgers, Mason Rudolph , Will Howard , and Drew Allar . It rarely ever happens. Three, for most teams, is the maximum. (Plenty only keep two.) Still, this could be one of those unique situations in which a team keeps four quarterbacks after the cuts are made. As to Rudolph, the Steelers need a veteran who can play in a pinch. A guy who is game ready. A guy who can step in if Rodgers is injured during a game. And Rudolph has 34 regular-season appearances and 19 starts, with a 9-9-1 record. As to Allar, they just used a third-round pick to draft him. Even if they need to re-teach him the position from the ground up (and they apparently do), cutting Allar would be an admission that they wasted a prime pick, the 76th overall selection. As to Howard, the Steelers spent plenty of time in the offseason talking him up. McCarthy supposedly loves him. Cutting him would expose their comments as the smokescreen many believed they were. Yes, Allar or Howard — if cut — could be signed to the practice squad. But first they'd have to get through waivers. Any other team could make a claim. And if they aren't claimed by another team, wouldn't that be a loud and clear indictment that neither guy should have been drafted? The safe way to save face would be to trade Allar or Howard. Or to cut Rudolph (who wouldn't be subject to waivers) and sign him to the practice squad. They could then elevate Rudolph for game days and make him the backup quarterback. But Rudolph would have to be willing to not sign to another team's active roster, for that strategy to work. In the end, the only practical solution could be to keep all four of them on the 53-man roster. Which would make them shorthanded at some other position, by one player. With Rodgers back, it's a good problem to have. Still, the only good problem is no problem. With four quarterbacks, the Steelers eventually will have a problem to solve as to how the rest of the depth chart fits into the 53-man limit
With quarterback Aaron Rodgers returning to Pittsburgh, the Steelers now have four quarterbacks on the offseason roster. Eventually, they’ll be required to cut the roster to 53. Which could mean they’ll be moving on from one of the three quarterbacks not named Aaron Rodgers. Or will they? Chris Simms and I talked it through during Monday’s PFT Live . And we came to the conclusion that they’ll possibly keep all of them — Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and Drew Allar. It rarely ever happens. Three, for most teams, is the maximum. (Plenty only keep two.) Still, this could be one of those unique situations in which a team keeps four quarterbacks after the cuts are made. As to Rudolph, the Steelers need a veteran who can play in a pinch. A guy who is game ready. A guy who can step in if Rodgers is injured during a game. And Rudolph has 34 regular-season appearances and 19 starts, with a 9-9-1 record. As to Allar, they just used a third-round pick to draft him. Even if they need to re-teach him the position from the ground up (and they apparently do), cutting Allar would be an admission that they wasted a prime pick, the 76th overall selection. As to Howard, the Steelers spent plenty of time in the offseason talking him up. McCarthy supposedly loves him. Cutting him would expose their comments as the smokescreen many believed they were. Yes, Allar or Howard — if cut — could be signed to the practice squad. But first they’d have to get through waivers. Any other team could make a claim. And if they aren’t claimed by another team, wouldn’t that be a loud and clear indictment that neither guy should have been drafted? The safe way to save face would be to trade Allar or Howard. Or to cut Rudolph (who wouldn’t be subject to waivers) and sign him to the practice squad. They could then elevate Rudolph for game days and make him the backup quarterback. But Rudolph would have to be willing to not sign to another team’s active roster, for that strategy to work. In the end, the only practical solution could be to keep all four of them on the 53-man roster. Which would make them shorthanded at some other position, by one player. With Rodgers back, it’s a good problem to have. Still, the only good problem is no problem. With four quarterbacks, the Steelers eventually will have a problem to solve as to how the rest of the depth chart fits into the 53-man limit
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed another player who participated in their rookie minicamp last week. According to Steelers Now’s Alan Saunders , the Steelers have signed former Pitt defensive back Tamon Lynum after a rookie minicamp tryout. Lynum was spotted at the first official OTA practice wearing number 42. Lynum joins former Michigan offensive lineman Greg Crippen as the only undrafted free agents that the Steelers have signed to the active roster this offseason. Lynum spent the first four years of his college career with the Nebraska Cornhuskers, never appearing in more than six games until his junior season. He then transferred to Pitt for the 2024 season and made an impact. The physical corner recorded 57 tackles, two interceptions, and eight passes defended during his two seasons with the Panthers. Lynum earned the attention of the Steelers during his pro day and has now worked his way all the way up to the roster, where he will have an opportunity to further prove himself this summer. The Steelers have no shortage of defensive back depth after adding Jamel Dean and Jaquan Brisker in free agency. Pittsburgh also re-signed Asante Samuel Jr. in March. Jalen Ramsey , who played safety for the majority of last season, is still on the roster and. How the room shakes out will be something that watch throughout the summer. Lynum will have an uphill battle to make the final 53-man roster in what is a stacked defensive back room. Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Steelers QB Will Howard surpasses Mason Rudolph to begin OTAs Steelers make big changes on offensive line to begin OTAs Steelers rookie changes jersey number ahead of OTAs The good and bad with Aaron Rodgers in 2026 Aaron Rodgers gets big raise from Steelers
All eyes are on the quarterback position for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Not just because Aaron Rodgers returned for his 22nd NFL season, but because the team now has four quarterbacks on its roster, meaning one will be the odd man out. With how Pittsburgh divided the reps on the first day of OTAs, it looks like Mason Rudolph will be drawing the short straw. Per Nick Farabaugh, the Steelers gave the second-team reps to Will Howard while Rudolph took QB3 reps and rookie Drew Allar went last at QB4. Obviously, the Steelers won’t be letting Allar go after selecting him in the third round of the draft last month, so his spot is as safe as anyone. It will all but certainly come down to Howard and Rudolph for the final quarterback spot. The tough line to walk for the Steelers is that Rudolph is a reliable backup who they know can keep them afloat should Rodgers go down. There is a large level of uncertainty with Howard, who has never taken an NFL snap. Would Pittsburgh go into the season with two quarterbacks behind a son-to-be 43-year-old quarterback who have a combined zero NFL games played? That would be a very large risk to take. That said, they’ll never know what they have in Howard if he never sees the field. He, along with Rudolph and Allar, will get that chance come preseason to earn their respective roster spots. Let us know what you think in the comments . Be sure to bookmark Behind the Steel Curtain for all the latest news, breakdowns, and more! Steelers make big changes on offensive line to begin OTAs Steelers rookie changes jersey number ahead of OTAs The good and bad with Aaron Rodgers in 2026 Aaron Rodgers gets big raise from Steelers Dan Orlovsky predicts double-digit losses for Steelers
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