The Steelers continue to have winning seasons followed by early playoff exits. This results in Pittsburgh consistently picking in the back third of the draft, which is not a great place to find a franchise QB.
There was hope that the Steelers would take a rookie quarterback early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but they waited to call a QB’s name until the sixth round.
With Russell Wilson leaving in free agency and signing with the Giants and Justin Fields landing with the Jets, Pittsburgh is in desperate need of a starting QB. It brought back former quarterback Mason Rudolph and signed former Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson to a futures deal, but that’s hardly a promising duo heading into the season.
Of course, the Steelers have been linked to free-agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, but he hasn’t committed to signing with the team. As a result, Pittsburgh used the 185th overall pick to select Ohio State quarterback Will Howard, who will serve as a developmental backup regardless of whether Rodgers signs in the Steel City. It’s probably telling that Pittsburgh didn’t feel the need to draft a QB earlier, but until Rodgers officially inks a deal, nothing is guaranteed.
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Here’s what the Steelers’ QB depth chart looks like coming out of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Steelers QB depth chart
| Position | Player Name |
| 1. | Mason Rudolph |
| 2. | Will Howard |
| 3. | Skylar Thompson |
Mason Rudolph
Rudolph was a third-round pick by Pittsburgh in the 2018 NFL Draft. He joined the franchise as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger, but he eventually took over under center. Rudolph had mixed results. He stuck around the franchise, but he was benched in favor of Mitch Trubisky or Kenny Pickett. Rudolph ended the 2023 season on a high note, but rather than re-sign with Pittsburgh, he left for a clean slate with Tennessee.
The Titans were in a rebuild and couldn’t figure out their offensive identity with Will Levis or Rudolph under center. He finished with only 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions in eight games last season.
In a perfect world, Rudolph will be the primary backup behind Rodgers, but until the mercurial veteran makes a decision, Rudolph is the projected starter.
Will Howard
Howard started his collegiate career at Kansas State. He spent four years playing for the Wildcats, but then transferred to Ohio State in his final year. Howard picked a great time to make the move, as he and the Buckeyes won the 2025 national championship. As a senior, Howard completed 73% of his passes for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II said that any quarterback the team took in the draft wouldn’t be an impact player this year. This could just be a smokescreen, but if that ends up being the case, then Howard will likely look to develop during his rookie season with a chance to start in 2026.
Skylar Thompson
Thompson was a seventh-round pick by Miami in the 2022 NFL Draft. With injuries to Tua Tagovailoa and Teddy Bridgewater, he started two games as a rookie, including a first-round playoff game. Thompson didn’t see the field during the 2023 season and played in three games in 2024. He finished with 187 total passing yards and no TDs or INTs.
If the Steelers sign Rodgers or bring in another quarterback, Thompson would likely be released.
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