With the Pittsburgh Steelers 2026 training camp over, we’re continuing our review of the summer so far. Over the next two weeks, we’ll be grading each position group and player who took part in camp. Unlike our camp awards, this evaluation will include preseason action in addition to the practices we observed.
We’ll begin with grading the Steelers’ quarterbacks. When grades are tied, I will still put who I thought had the slight edge over the other in order. So take these grades as an “official” order. I’m also not grading on a curve relative to a player’s experience (or lack of) or expectations heading into the summer.
Aaron Rodgers
There’s even less to examine about Rodgers this year. In his second season and playing more football than nearly anyone in history, Rodgers looks the same as last year. Which is to say, his arm remains lively and strong. The ball still explodes off his hand and he can make high-level throws to all areas of the field. A fade-away, 15-yard crosser to Darnell Washington was a true highlight, and his deep ball still has receivers sprinting full speed to track it down.
His release is uncanny. If he sees an open receiver against the blitz, he has this catch-and-release ability of taking the snap and throwing the ball all in one motion. I’ve never watched a quarterback in-person do it the way he can.
Rodgers continues to mentor the young quarterbacks with Drew Allar added to the group this year.
Rodgers is well-liked by teammates, though there was a little less interaction because of Mike McCarthy’s training format. He didn’t go through stretch line with the rest of the team like last year since he and the centers stretched early and used that extra time to work on snaps. There wasn’t much in-practice downtime to foster some of those informal moments. Rodgers made big public waves with his commentary on The Pat McAfee Show, but that story died down within 24 hours and hasn’t had any outward impact on the team.
He threw a couple interceptions, and T.J. Watt baited him into an easy pick early in camp (Rodgers will remind that it came during a walkthrough session). He also wasn’t always on the same page with targets, including one interception on a throw intended for RB Rico Dowdle. Rodgers knows McCarthy’s system but his receivers, even ones with the benefit of returning, are still a work in progress. He particularly didn’t build much of a rapport with Michael Pittman Jr. before Pittman missed the finale slate of practices with an injury.
Rodgers has shown limitless trust in WR DK Metcalf, a growing connection with Roman Wilson, and is giving Pat Freiermuth plenty of love that signals a bounce back 2026 season.
His mobility is still below NFL average, and he still wears his emotions on his sleeve. When he thinks someone has screwed up, he’ll let them know about it.
Despite his age, Rodgers didn’t receive any time off, not even a half day. Rodgers dominated the reps and Mike McCarthy worked him like a young starter trying to prove everything.
Rodgers had a good camp that’s expected for someone of his skillset and pedigree. Now, he must elevate this offense in the regular season. Training camp is simply the warmup to everything that matters on the other side.
Camp Grade: A-
Drew Allar
Allar’s physical tools are undeniable. He didn’t need to join the NFL for that part of the evaluation. That ability was on display during the peaks of his Penn State career and the way he spun it at the NFL Combine.
In Happy Valley or Latrobe, Allar is a gifted thrower. His arm strength is right up there with Rodgers, if not already above Rodgers. He can make crazy, off-platform throws. Compared to Will Howard, it’s no contest. Allar’s “arm talent’ is orders of magnitude ahead. He’s not afraid to show it off, either. From the jump, he didn’t shy away from taking downfield chances when many young quarterbacks take the safe “profit” of their checkdown when the first read isn’t there.
On a fourth down during a two-minute drill, Allar threw vertically and completed a 30-plus yard pass to receiver A.T. Perry down the left sideline. It’s a risk that comes with criticism if the play doesn’t hit, but Allar made it happen.
Mike McCarthy has spent plenty of time cleaning up Allar’s footwork, his number one focus for any quarterback. That effort has begun paying off. While Allar’s short-to-intermediate accuracy was shaky in camp, he made on-target RAC throws in his preseason debut against the Green Bay Packers. Beginning with his first pass, a 74-yard completion to WR Kaden Wetjen that hit him in stride and allowed him to do damage post-catch.
Operationally, Allar was impressive. His exchanges were solid and he never looked out of sorts at the line of scrimmage. His hard count is loud and effective, getting defenders to flinch and tip their hand. He saw the defense well and didn’t throw an interception through the first seven practices. There might not have been one after in team drills, either. He threw a pick in 7 on 7, but that might have been due to WR Roman Wilson slipping on his route.
The most negative stat from our tally was an ugly sub-50 percent completion percentage, 20 points lower than any of the other three. A small part of that came from his aggressive downfield nature but it was largely due to him missing short crossing throws that were behind, low, or both. He didn’t look like that guy against Green Bay, and that improvement is a positive sign.
If Allar can be sound mechanically, the Steelers might have a truly intriguing quarterback option. As I’ve said with him and Howard, the arc of their summer is what matters most. Not the day-to-day horserace, but where they finish compared to where they started. Both are on a positive track, but Allar is really rising so long as his next two preseason games look like his first.
Camp Grade: B+
Mason Rudolph
To a similar degree as Rodgers, Rudolph didn’t need much scrutiny in training camp. He’s a veteran, with practices being old hat to him. But the new coaching staff had to get to know him, and McCarthy has sung his praises since the spring. He highlighted Rudolph as the player who surprised him the most, a compliment in a backhanded way.
Rudolph has a strong arm that throws an accurate and catchable deep ball. His days were consistent and I don’t think he ever had a truly “bad” practice. At our check-in through seven practices, Rudolph was completing nearly two-thirds of his passes and had yet to throw an interception in team periods. Tracking stats afterward became messy with all the rainouts, but I don’t remember him throwing a pick during a team period the entire camp. Rudolph is smart and knows where to go with the football.
He ran as the No. 2 quarterback in camp and started the preseason opener. A passable performance with a couple of sacks, one partially on him for not climbing the pocket, the other not his fault, and a couple of key conversions on his second series.
Will he be Rodgers’ top backup this year? If he makes the roster, he will. Could the Steelers still consider trading him? That’s not off the table, but the way McCarthy has talked, he’s mentally slotted Rudolph into the No. 2 spot.
Camp Grade: B+
Will Howard
Howard’s second lap around the track didn’t end in an unplanned pit stop like last year’s hand injury. Fully healthy, Howard enjoyed a positive camp that got better as the summer went along.
His padless sessions were relatively quiet. He threw a particularly bad interception to a wide receiver covered every which way that S Sebastian Castro nabbed. Things improved from there. Howard’s best trait is his touch and ability to layer throws, strengths that carried over to his long-awaited preseason debut. It was positive, and leading a two-minute drill touchdown drive was a perfect example of applying camp drills from Pittsburgh frequently worked on two-minute situations, to real-game action.
The biggest thing to work on from the Packers game was hanging in the pocket and getting to his second read when his first progression wasn’t open.
Operationally, Howard had a couple flubs of botched exchanges and mesh point problems, including a two-minute drill that immediately fell flat after an error between him and RB Lew Nichols. It’s hard to say who was at fault. I tend to put those mistakes on non-quarterbacks, but the ball hit the ground, the defense recovered, and the offense lost its chance for more reps. During the game, however, things were clean and Howard ran the huddle well.
There still aren’t enough moments and examples of him truly fitting the ball into a tight window with a line drive throw. Howard’s best throws came over the middle than down the sideline, and there are still boxes to check and pre-draft concerns to answer.
From a pedigree standpoint, Howard is clearly outplaying his sixth-round status. His best traits from Ohio State are flashing in Pittsburgh – touch and accuracy. There’s a lot more to watch and it’s unclear what his standing with the team will be once roster cutdowns are official August 30. Howard is shaping up as someone worth keeping around and could lead to the Steelers holding onto all four quarterbacks.
Camp Grade: B