Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard was one of the biggest talking points of the offseason.Aaron Rodgers will be Pittsburgh’s undisputed starter in 2026, opting to return to the franchise and re-unite with his former Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy.Rodgers reunites with his former Green Bay HC Mike McCarthy for his final season in the NFLGettyHowever, one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time has confirmed it will be his final season in the NFL, leaving the Steelers future plans in limbo.Behind Rodgers, McCarthy’s quarterback room features Will Howard, long-time backup Mason Rudolph and third-round pick Drew Allar.Howard has been talked up by McCarthy all offseason, and at the moment, seems the most likely to take the reins should Rodgers go down.Howard impressed in pre-season, but three interceptions in the two final games cooled the hype.NFL Weekly Newsletter - SIGN UP!talkSPORT is your home for NFL in the UK as we launch our biggest year of coverage yet!2026 promises to be an epic year for NFL on talkSPORT – and we want you to join us for the ride.MORE INFO & SIGN-UP HERE!This season will be our biggest ever with live commentary of 90+ games, including behind-the-scenes access to international games and all three London fixtures, plus bumper coverage of Super Bowl 61 at SoFi Stadium.Exclusive interviews, hard-hitting opinion, latest front-office drama and top breaking news – all delivered straight to your inbox each week.For former two-time Super Bowl champion Trai Essex, the excitement around Howard shouldn’t be dying down.“I’m not understanding this negativity towards Will Howard,” Essex tweeted.“We must not be watching the same film. He showed me plenty of potential that he can operate this offense at a high level. “His poise and movement in the pocket impressed me a lot considering we didn’t get the greatest OL play. “Not the strongest of arms but strong enough.”Howard was pick No. 185 out of Ohio State in the 2025 draft, coming off a season where he led the Big Ten in completion percentage, passing yards, and touchdown passes.Howard is expected to battle with Drew Allar for the starting role after 2026GettyEssex says two pre-season interceptions shouldn’t define how good Howard lookedGettyHoward missed the entire 2025 preseason with a hand injury, and wouldn’t take the field at all for Pittsburgh last season.Steelers urged to pursue tight end reinforcementsReunited with the head coach who guided him to Super Bowl glory in Green Bay, Rodgers is aiming to sail off into the sunset with one last Lombardi Trophy.The Steelers have failed to advance past the Wild Card round in each of their last five playoff appearances.There is one particular area of the offense CBS Sports’ Josh Edwards believes needs ramping up before they can be considered true Super Bowl contenders.“A year removed from wondering what Pittsburgh is going to do with Jonnu Smith, Darnell Washington and Pat Freiermuth, the team now finds itself in a position to add at the position,” Edwards wrote.“The latter two tight ends remain on the roster, but depth features Robert Tonyan, Jaheim Bell, Lake McRee and Lance Mason. The team could bring in help at that position.”The Steelers have been urged to give Rodgers an experienced weapon at tight endGettyIf the Steelers want to deliver Rodgers a storybook ending in his final season, landing another proven tight end before Week 1 might be the ultimate difference-maker.