Fittipaldo: Why the Steelers have to turn the page to a young QB after Aaron Rodgers' swan song

Ray Fittipaldo, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on May 17, 2026

Published in Football

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It’s Jan. 17, 2027.

The Steelers just won their first playoff game in a decade, coming on the heels of a 12-win season and a second consecutive AFC North division title. Aaron Rodgers turned back the clock and had his best season since 2021, the year he won his fourth and final MVP award with the Green Bay Packers.

A week later, their season ends in the divisional round of the playoffs.

And at that point, so too should the Aaron Rodgers era in Pittsburgh.

No matters what happens over the next nine months, the Steelers must execute a plan in 2027 that includes handing over the reins of the team to a young quarterback. It’s time to move the franchise into the future.

Let’s be clear — Rodgers played better than many expected last season.

His 24-7 touchdown-to-interception differential and his clutch play late in games are two of the biggest reasons the Steelers won their first division title since 2020. His persona in the locker room was a good culture fit, too.

Rodgers was well-liked by teammates, but he was also not afraid to hold players accountable if they fell short of expectations. That is important to note because he came to the Steelers with a reputation of being a problem in the locker room during his previous two seasons with the New York Jets.

The Steelers expect the same type of leadership this season, and there is reason to believe Rodgers can be even better on the field because he is reuniting with Mike McCarthy, his coach in Green Bay for 13 seasons.

Rodgers was and remains the best option for the Steelers to be a competitive team this season. But the Steelers have to turn the page in 2027. It’s the only way for the franchise to get back to being a true Super Bowl contender.

For the past several years, including Ben Roethlisberger’s final seasons after his elbow surgery and before his retirement in 2021, the Steelers have been stuck in the middle of the league’s competitive hierarchy. Since 2021, they are 48-36-1 and haven’t finished with more than 10 victories.

More importantly, they’ve played four playoff games in that five-year stretch and were not competitive in any of them.

This will be the third year in a row they’re going with a quarterback who is 35 or older and past his prime. In 2024, Russell Wilson won 10 games and led them to the playoffs. Last season, Rodgers did the same.

As a result of the Steelers remaining competitive, their highest draft slot in the past five years was No. 14 overall — and that was after a trade up from No. 17. It’s incredibly difficult to find a franchise quarterback there.

The Steelers found that out the hard way in 2022 when they drafted Kenny Pickett with the No. 20 overall pick. They knew after two seasons he wasn’t the answer and moved on to Wilson.

Now, the Steelers have Will Howard and Drew Allar, and it’s time to find out about them.

They are high on Howard’s potential, but he did not take a snap as a rookie after fracturing a bone in his hand during last year’s training camp.

The Steelers have high hopes for Allar, too, after drafting him in the third round of this year’s draft. He gives the Steelers four quarterbacks on the roster heading into the first day of organized team activities on Monday.

For McCarthy, the more the merrier.

Coaching quarterbacks is his passion, and he doesn’t view the room as crowded. He envisions a fertile place for Howard and Allar to grow while watching Rodgers work at his craft.

Howard and Allar have to take advantage of their practice reps when they get them, but McCarthy has the most difficult job. He has to get Rogers and the Steelers ready to defend the AFC North title, all while developing Howard and Allar so they are prepared to compete for the starting job in 2027.

It’s going to be a delicate balancing act throughout the 2026 season. After that, the Steelers have to be completely focused on the future at the position.

They might go backward. They might go forward.

Anything would be better than staying the same.