Mark Kaboly doesn’t see Aaron Rodgers walking away from the Steelers. If he does, though, he doesn’t see the Steelers replacing him. In fact, he seems confident Pittsburgh will stick with what it has and just add a QB3 along the way. What the Steelers currently have, in case you haven’t heard, is Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, along with Skylar Thompson. And Thompson, who made the initial 53-man roster last year, could be that QB3.
“Plan B in my eyes is right in front of you. If Aaron says, ‘Nope, I’m done’, it’s Mason, Will, let’s see who can win the job and we’ll bring in some third guy”, Kaboly said on the Kaboly + Mack Show.
“Draft pick, veteran, whatever. We’re never gonna play him, anyways, at least this year. I think that’s writing on the wall”, he added. “That’s what their plan is. It’s either Aaron, Mason, Will, [or] Will, Mason, question mark. As in, Easton Stick or a draft pick. Somebody that you just want on the roster. Or as Rodgers would say, Sky—Skylar Thompson”.
Last week, the Steelers watched Aaron Rodgers tell the world he wasn’t ready to make a decision about playing in 2026. In fact, he didn’t really sound like he plans to have an answer any time soon. That could be a different story than the one he’s conveying behind the scenes, as Kaboly seems to believe. But unless or until we hear otherwise, that seems to be the most reasonable assumption.
Minus Rodgers, the Steelers have been subject to all sorts of quarterback speculation, the most recent being Kyler Murray. The Cardinals intend to release him, and due to offset language in his contract, he would likely only play for the veteran minimum, Arizona footing the rest of the bill. That’s the approach the Steelers took when they signed Russell Wilson two years ago.
We have also heard of the Steelers replacing Aaron Rodgers through trade, Mac Jones or Anthony Richardson. In free agency, there is, of course, Malik Willis, he of 155 NFL pass attempts. Are any of these options much more tempting than keeping Mason Rudolph and Will Howard?
Obviously, that’s in the eye of the beholder, but the Steelers seem to have an eye for Will Howard. That’s what they’re saying publicly, anyway, and doing so is in their best interests. Plus, Aaron Rodgers gave the Steelers his endorsement of Howard.
“I just don’t think that they’re thinking they’re gonna go out there and find somebody in free agency if Rodgers all of a sudden says no”, Kaboly said of the Steelers. He reiterated that he doesn’t think Rodgers will say no, adding he thinks he’ll give an answer “sooner rather than later”.
But if the Steelers don’t have a clear answer from Rodgers at the start of free agency, what then? If their Plan B is Malik Willis, they can’t sit on their hands for too long. Of course, if their Plan B, as Kaboly thinks, is really sticking with the status quo then they can wait as long as they did last year. And wouldn’t that be exciting?
