The Pittsburgh Steelers are still waiting to see what veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers decides about his future, but the team is already giving its young quarterbacks more opportunities this offseason. Head coach Mike Tomlin could get more time to develop both Drew Allar and Will Howard while the quarterback situation remains unclear. Still, one Steelers legend doesn’t seem fully on board with the idea.

“It is impossible to get two young quarterbacks ready. And I rarely use impossible, but it is impossible in this particular situation,” Charlie Batch said Thursday on 93.7 The Fan. “Why? Because the way that the offseason program is, it really hinders your development.”

Compared to the old days, NFL teams do not get as much practice time anymore. That is why Batch believes it will be tough for head coach McCarthy to properly develop the young quarterbacks while also preparing for the possible arrival of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Once the regular season starts, Rodgers would likely take most of the first-team reps, which would leave fewer chances for the younger quarterbacks to learn and grow.

Still, according to Ray Fittipaldo, McCarthy does not seem too worried about the Rodgers situation. During the draft, the Steelers head coach reportedly sounded comfortable with Rodgers taking his time before signing.

“If Aaron Rodgers isn’t there on May 18, guess what? Will Howard and Drew Allar are gonna get a ton of reps in those voluntary workouts,” Ray Fittipaldo said on 93.7 The Fan. “So Mike McCarthy is sitting back, he’s looking at this like, ‘Okay, my young QBs get a lot of reps [and] my vet, my guy’s gonna come when the time is right, and we’ll be good.”

At the same time, Pittsburgh will still have chances to work with both young quarterbacks. OTAs are less than two weeks away, and after the summer break, the Steelers will also have training camp and three preseason games to evaluate Allar and Howard.

Another thing helping the Steelers is Rodgers’ history with McCarthy. Unlike last season, Rodgers would not be entering a completely new situation. He already knows the system, the coaches, and how things work inside the organization.

So Rodgers doesn’t need these offseason reps as much as the younger quarterbacks do, which gives the team more time to focus on their development. However, Batch doesn’t seem convinced either way. That said, he has made his preference clear between the two young quarterbacks.

The Steelers could choose Will Howard over Drew Allar

Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Charlie Batch believes the team will eventually have to choose between developing Drew Allar and Will Howard.

“You have to focus on which one you think gives you the best opportunity, focus that attention on them, and then anybody else gets left behind,” Batch said. “Anytime that you…draft a third-rounder, the third-rounder gets more opportunity. Because number one, he has more money invested in that particular slot that he was drafted at. And the organization valued him a lot more, on a third-round draft pick, than sixth.”

Batch’s comments make sense considering Allar was selected much earlier than Howard in the 2026 NFL Draft. Head coach Mike McCarthy picked Allar in the third round at No. 76 overall, while Howard was taken in the sixth round.

Allar has the physical traits teams want in a quarterback. At 6 feet 5, he has a powerful arm, a strong size, and the ability to extend plays when needed. Over his college career, he has recorded over 7,400 yards and 61 touchdowns.

On the other hand, Howard is viewed as the more polished athlete and showed good pocket awareness during college, and already has one year of NFL experience.

McCarthy has also been very supportive of Howard this offseason.

“I think he’s definitely a real prospect as a starting quarterback,” McCarthy said on Mad Dog Sports Radio.

Despite Allar’s higher draft position, Howard could have a better chance to see the field early. If Aaron Rodgers were to miss time, Howard or Mason Rudolph would likely get the first opportunity before Allar.