Mike McCarthy Says Aaron Rodgers’ Mentorship of Steelers QBs Has Reached ‘a Different Level’
Aaron Rodgers is entering his final NFL season, and Pittsburgh’s coaching staff is paying close attention to how he’s spending it. According to ClutchPoints, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy said this week that Rodgers’ work with backup quarterbacks Will Howard and Drew Allar has taken on new weight now that retirement is on the horizon.
“He’s always done that, which I’ve always had a lot of respect for,” McCarthy said, via Chris Adamski of TribLIVE. “I think it’s an important component of your quarterback room and the dynamics of the quarterback room. Keeping the accountability throughout that process, but now it’s at a different level now. He shares constantly, and he’s very reflective as you make tweaks.”
Adamski posted the quote on X: “Mike McCarthy on Aaron Rodgers working so well with young QBs Drew Allar and Will Howard: ‘He’s always done that… but now it’s at a different level.'”
Mike McCarthy on Aaron Rodgers working so well with young QBs Drew Allar and Will Howard:
“He’s always done that… but now it’s at a different level.” pic.twitter.com/2HXnik1CgS
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 10, 2026
Rodgers has said repeatedly he intends to retire once the 2026 season ends, and Pittsburgh’s roster reflects that reality. The Steelers now carry four quarterbacks — Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Howard and rookie Drew Allar — with Howard and Allar viewed as the most likely long-term options once the 42-year-old walks away.
A Mentorship That Started Day One
This isn’t new behavior from Rodgers. He introduced himself to Howard at his first Steelers press conference back in 2025 and made a point of sitting next to him in quarterback meetings. Howard has said publicly that Rodgers “has been a great mentor,” treating him with respect he didn’t have to extend to a sixth-round rookie.
Allar, Pittsburgh’s third-round pick out of Penn State in the 2026 draft, is getting the same treatment now. According to ClutchPoints, Allar has credited Rodgers directly with helping him refine the touch on his deep ball during camp, saying he picked Rodgers’ brain on trajectory before unleashing a pair of deep throws that turned heads during a recent practice at Latrobe.
Rodgers has framed the role as something he’s chosen, not something the job requires. “It’s not in my job description, but it’s a great opportunity, for sure,” he said earlier in the offseason. “I’ll try and mentor Drew as much as he wants me to, and keep staying on Will.” The approach echoes what he saw — and didn’t always get — during his own transition behind Brett Favre in Green Bay, and what he later gave Jordan Love during Love’s apprenticeship as his backup.
Why It Matters for Pittsburgh’s Timeline
McCarthy’s comment isn’t just a feel-good storyline. It speaks directly to how the Steelers plan to handle the post-Rodgers transition. Neither Howard nor Allar has significant NFL game experience — Howard spent his rookie year developing behind Rodgers, and Allar is only now working through his first training camp. Having Rodgers walk them through progressions, film work and in-game adjustments in real time gives Pittsburgh a head start it wouldn’t otherwise have heading into 2027, when the starting job opens up.
McCarthy, who won a Super Bowl with Rodgers in Green Bay and has a long track record of developing quarterbacks, appears to be leaning on that relationship to accelerate the learning curve for both young passers. Whether that translates into Howard or Allar winning the job next spring is still unresolved. What’s already clear is that Rodgers is using his final season to leave more behind than a highlight reel.
For now, Pittsburgh’s plan is straightforward: let Rodgers run the offense one more time, and let him keep shaping the two players who’ll eventually take it over.
