There was unexpected Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback news at the start of Week 16, according to NFL insider Ari Meirov and the NFL transaction log, as the organization brought in two QBs for a “workout.”
Obviously, the not-so-subtle elephant in the room is that Aaron Rodgers is expected to end his NFL career after the 2025 season. If the future Hall of Famer sticks to that timeline, that puts the Steelers in severe need of a starting quarterback once again.
Pittsburgh has current backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 draft pick Will Howard under contract in 2026, but neither has given the Steelers much reason to believe that they deserve the future starting job if Rodgers retires.
With that in mind, the front office got an early start on their possible 2026 QB search on December 16, hosting quarterbacks Hendon Hooker and Jack Plummer.
Steelers Work Out Hendon Hooker at Start of Week 16 With Aaron Rodgers Rental Potentially Nearing Its End
GettyFormer Detroit Lions draft pick Hendon Hooker worked out for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Hooker is the headliner here. The 2023 third-round pick of the Detroit Lions was a big-name prospect coming out of Tennessee, but a long-term injury impacted his draft status.
Still, Hooker did enough before his injury to attract the interest of several NFL teams, including the Lions. Unfortunately, he never quite developed as expected in Detroit, and with Jared Goff reviving his career since Hooker’s draft year, the Lions elected to move on at the 2025 53-man roster crunch.
Hooker quickly latched onto the Carolina Panthers’ practice squad from there, up until November 4, when he was released again.
The collegiate dual threat could still have some untapped potential for the Steelers to try and develop, if he were to sign, but he’s not a particularly young prospect, considering he turns 28 years old in January.
At Tennessee in 2022, Hooker threw for 3,135 yards and 27 touchdowns compared to just 2 interceptions. He achieved a quarterback rating of 175.5 and a completion percentage of 69.6, ranking fifth in Heisman voting.
Hooker wasn’t a one-hit wonder either, with similar stats (and an even higher QB rating of 181.4) in 2021. He rushed for over 600 yards in two out of his four seasons as a starter.
Similar to Hooker, Plummer has spent time with the Panthers. The former undrafted quarterback out of Louisville, Cal, and Purdue is 26 years old. He has yet to appear in a regular season NFL game and threw 3 interceptions (compared to 1 touchdown) over 3 preseason outings this summer.
Steelers News Includes Slew of Workouts & Visits
Hooker and Plummer weren’t the only workouts on December 16. It’s possible that the Steelers could be getting an early start on their 2026 reserve/future contracts because they hosted a long list of players in Week 16.
There was a familiar face, tight end J.J. Galbreath, in the group, as well as another tight end, Colin Granger.
Wide receivers Johnny Johnson, Brandon Smith, and Chris Tyree were also involved in the large workout, along with running backs Tre Stewart and Jordan Waters.
Finally, running back and former “Hard Knocks” star Ian Wheeler was noted as a free agent “visit,” according to the NFL’s daily transaction log, rounding out a long list of Steelers inquiries as Rodgers and the 53-man roster gear up for a Week 16 matchup with the 8-6 Lions.
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