Aaron Rodgers played a crucial role in the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ triumph in the 2025 AFC North Division title. However, he was only on a one-year deal, and that ended with the Steelers’ loss to the Houston Texans. Since then, there has been no confirmation on his potential return, with the player having ignored multiple deadlines. In the past days, there have been rumors linking him to the Arizona Cardinals, but it looks like the Steelers may have his replacement already.

“I definitely think Will Howard would be in that mix,” said NFL journalist Ray Fittipaldo on 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show. “Drew Allar as a rookie, I think it’s a little bit different, even though Will was hurt for a big portion of his rookie season, you still have that memory and that experience going through that professional experience for the first time. So, I think Will is ahead of Drew in that way.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Will Howard with the 185th overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The expectations surrounding him were high. Despite leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship, defeating Notre Dame 34-23, Howard did not appear in a single NFL game during his 2025 rookie season.

The 24-year-old fractured his hand during a team practice in August 2025. This injury prevented him from playing in any preseason games, which are crucial for rookie development and securing a roster spot. However, since Howard missed the entire exhibition period, the Steelers placed him on Injured Reserve (IR) to start the season.

Later, although Howard was activated to the 53-man roster in November 2025, he remained the No. 3 quarterback behind starter Aaron Rodgers and backup Mason Rudolph.

Heading into the 2026 season, the Pittsburgh Steelers QB room includes veteran Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, and new signing Drew Allar. The Steelers selected Allar as the 76th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, considering the exposure to the leading football league, Ray Fittipaldo ranked Howard over the 22-year-old.

Not just Allar, the Steelers insider also rated Howard over a veteran like Rudolph.

“I think Mason and Will would compete, and I think Will would have a legitimate shot,” Fittipaldo added. “If it’s close, I think you would go with Will Howard.”

Mason Rudolph’s tenure with the Steelers is often described as a journey from “polarizing backup” to “trusted veteran.” He came in as the 76th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft and was deemed a potential replacement for their legendary QB Ben Roethlisberger. However, Rudolph struggled to fulfill the expectations, which were marred by injuries.

Now, at 30 years of age, former Steelers linebacker James Harrison believes that the team might release or trade Rudolph very soon.

“If Aaron comes back, or when Aaron comes back, he gone,” Harrison said on Deebo & Joe Podcast. “Mason’s gone. Because you’re gonna keep your two young guys. And get what you’ve got going on there, develop them however it’s gonna be. [Rudolph] done had eight years to develop and still ain’t did it. That’s gonna be something that they’re gonna end up moving on from.”

Now, all these discussions have come up due to uncertainty around Aaron Rodgers’ NFL return. Sure, Rodgers had a positive outing with the Steelers last season. As the starting QB, he recorded 3,322 passing yards and 24 touchdowns in 16 regular-season games. But at 42 years of age, he seemingly opted to take more time before deciding on a contract extension.

So, while that uncertainty looms, Rodgers gets linked to the team that has the longest Super Bowl drought in the NFL’s history.

NFL insider brushes off Aaron Rodgers and Cardinals links

As per the buzz, Aaron Rodgers may be enticed to a move to the Arizona Cardinals, who have yet to win a Super Bowl. And the link stands primarily due to coaching connections.

The Cardinals recently hired Nathaniel Hackett as their offensive coordinator. Hackett is widely known as one of Rodgers’ closest friends in the league. As such, they worked together during Rodgers’ MVP seasons (2020 and 2021) with the Green Bay Packers. On top of that, new Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur is the brother of Matt LaFleur, Rodgers’ former head coach in Green Bay.

However, a prominent NFL insider scoffed at the speculations after drawing out information from the Cardinals.

“I asked a source today if all the noise about Aaron Rodgers going to the Cardinals was real? “Not at all,” was the response. So, there’s that,” reported ESPN’s Josh Weinfuss on X.

As things stand, Aaron Rodgers is a free agent. Despite that, the Pittsburgh Steelers have put the 42-year-old under the Unrestricted Free Agent (UFA) tender. Now, if Rodgers signs the tender, he receives a 10% raise on his 2025 salary ($13.65 million), totaling approximately $15 million for a one-year deal in 2026.

He will also remain a free agent and can sign with any team until July 22, 2026. Meanwhile, if Rodgers remains unsigned by July 22, the Steelers gain exclusive negotiating rights. He cannot sign with any other team for the 2026 season after this date. Not just that, by filing the tender by the post-draft deadline, the Steelers ensured their eligibility for a 2027 compensatory draft pick if Rodgers signs with another team before July 22.

Both Rodgers and the Steelers can benefit from this situation. However, it will be interesting to see what decision the 42-year-old will actually make.