{"id":173635,"date":"2026-04-06T07:02:59","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T07:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=173635"},"modified":"2026-04-06T07:02:59","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T07:02:59","slug":"%f0%9f%9a%a8-steelers-bombshell-brooke-pryor-slams-the-door-shut-on-will-howard-drops-3-veteran-qb-explosions-as-aaron-rodgers-stalls-out-for-mike-mccarthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=173635","title":{"rendered":"\ud83d\udea8 STEELERS BOMBSHELL: Brooke Pryor SLAMS the Door Shut on Will Howard \u2014 Drops 3 Veteran QB Explosions as Aaron Rodgers Stalls Out for Mike McCarthy!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The 2026 NFL Draft is just weeks away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers face major uncertainty at quarterback as free agent Aaron Rodgers continues to drag his feet on a decision for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/assets.newsweek.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/GettyImages-2247007884.jpg?w=1600&amp;quality=80&amp;webp=1\" alt=\"Mike McCarthy Shares Honest Will Howard Thought Amid Aaron Rodgers Standoff\" \/><\/p>\n<p>The four-time MVP spent the 2025 campaign in Pittsburgh, posting a solid but unspectacular stat line of 3,322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and just 7 interceptions across 16 games. While he helped stabilize the offense, questions linger about whether the 43-year-old is ready for another Super Bowl push \u2014 or if he\u2019ll even return at all.<\/p>\n<p>With Rodgers\u2019 future in limbo, ESPN insider Brooke Pryor dropped a major update on NFL Live, effectively cooling expectations around second-year QB Will Howard as the immediate answer and laying out three intriguing mid-round draft alternatives for head coach Mike McCarthy to consider.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">What happens if Aaron Rodgers doesn&#39;t return next season? \ud83d\udc40<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/bepryor?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@bepryor<\/a> breaks down the Steelers&#39; contingency plans \u2b07\ufe0f <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/rVOyCxr26L\">pic.twitter.com\/rVOyCxr26L<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ESPNNFL\/status\/2040163014654005535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">April 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Pryor acknowledged McCarthy\u2019s strong praise for the sixth-round pick from the 2025 draft, noting that the coach has been \u201cincredibly high\u201d on Howard. McCarthy even suggested this week that, had he been in charge of last year\u2019s draft board, Howard \u201cwould not have been on the board\u201d that late \u2014 highlighting his belief in the young signal-caller\u2019s potential as a future starter.<\/p>\n<p>However, Pryor made it clear that the Steelers aren\u2019t putting all their eggs in one basket with the unproven Howard. If the Rodgers plan falls through, Pittsburgh could look elsewhere in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n<p>The three mid-round QB bombshells Pryor floated:<\/p>\n<p>Carson Beck (formerly Georgia Bulldogs, then Miami Hurricanes): Beck backed up for two national championships early in his career before stepping up as a starter. He led Miami to the national championship game in 2025, though they fell short against Indiana. His experience and pedigree make him a steady bridge option.<\/p>\n<p>Drew Allar (Penn State Nittany Lions): Once viewed as a potential Day 1 pick, Allar\u2019s draft stock has slipped due to injuries. Still, his size and arm talent keep him on the radar as a developmental prospect who could compete for snaps.<\/p>\n<p>Garrett Nussmeier (LSU Tigers): Another former high-upside prospect whose value has been affected by injuries. Nussmeier brings mobility and playmaking ability that could fit well in a competitive room.<\/p>\n<p>These three names represent realistic mid-round targets who could serve as bridge quarterbacks in 2026 \u2014 either starting while a younger player develops or pushing Howard for the backup (or even starting) role.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Aaron Rodgers over the weekend at a charity event &#8211; Will Howard was also in attendance. <\/p>\n<p>Video from Rodgers Realm\/IG <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/UzB0GsCY7T\">pic.twitter.com\/UzB0GsCY7T<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; SteelerNation (@steelernation) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/steelernation\/status\/2035875057512116319?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">March 23, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>McCarthy, who coached Rodgers during his Super Bowl XLV victory with the Green Bay Packers, remains optimistic about their ongoing conversations. He\u2019s spoken with Rodgers \u201cweekly, every couple of days,\u201d describing the dialogue as comfortable and consistent with their long history together (13 years in Green Bay). Yet, as the draft approaches, the Steelers must prepare contingencies.<\/p>\n<p>Pryor\u2019s comments signal a pragmatic shift: while McCarthy loves Howard\u2019s traits, the organization isn\u2019t shutting the door on adding proven college production through the draft. Whether it\u2019s Beck\u2019s championship experience, Allar\u2019s raw tools, or Nussmeier\u2019s upside, Pittsburgh has clear fallback plans if Rodgers stalls any longer.<\/p>\n<p>Steelers fans are left wondering \u2014 will Rodgers commit and buy the team more time, or will McCarthy roll the dice on one of these draft-day bombshells to reshape the quarterback room? The clock is ticking.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The 2026 NFL Draft is just weeks away, and the Pittsburgh Steelers face major uncertainty at quarterback as free agent Aaron Rodgers continues to drag his feet&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":173615,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-173635","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\ud83d\udea8 STEELERS BOMBSHELL: Brooke Pryor SLAMS the Door Shut on Will Howard \u2014 Drops 3 Veteran QB Explosions as Aaron Rodgers Stalls Out for Mike McCarthy! - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=173635\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\ud83d\udea8 STEELERS BOMBSHELL: Brooke Pryor SLAMS the Door Shut on Will Howard \u2014 Drops 3 Veteran QB Explosions as Aaron Rodgers Stalls Out for Mike McCarthy! 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