The NFL is a quarterback-driven league, and while some teams are blessed with elite signal-callers, others are staring down a long season from under center. According to a recent CBS Sports analysis, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in the latter category, ranking among the league's worst QB rooms heading into 2026.
CBS Sports' Garrett Podell broke down the NFL's bottom-10 quarterback situations, and it's not pretty for the black and gold. The Steelers landed at No. 3 on the "worst QB rooms" list, trailing only a handful of teams like the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, and Minnesota Vikings. The ranking paints a grim picture for a franchise that once enjoyed decades of Hall of Fame-level play at the position.
So, what makes Pittsburgh's QB room so dire? Let's look at the depth chart. Veteran backup Mason Rudolph started just one game in 2025—a 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears—while filling in for an injured Aaron Rodgers. Then there's Will Howard, a sixth-round pick out of Ohio State in 2025, who has yet to attempt a single NFL regular-season pass. And new head coach Mike McCarthy just added Penn State's Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. As Podell noted, "At the moment, two-thirds of the Steelers' quarterback room has yet to throw a pass in the NFL regular season."
While Aaron Rodgers is still expected to join the Steelers in 2026, the lack of proven depth is concerning. To make matters worse, recent rumors have linked Rodgers to the Arizona Cardinals, with one Cardinals wide receiver reportedly trying to recruit the 42-year-old to the NFC West. That kind of instability doesn't help a team trying to build confidence under center.
For comparison, other teams on the list include the Browns, who are still searching for answers post-Deshaun Watson, and the Vikings, who are navigating life after Kirk Cousins. But for Steelers fans, the message is clear: until Rodgers officially puts on the black and gold—or one of these young guns steps up—Pittsburgh's QB room will remain a major question mark.