Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would like to see sixth-round rookie quarterback Will Howard have an opportunity to win the backup job behind Aaron Rodgers.
Mason Rudolph currently occupies that role behind Rodgers, and while Roethlisberger acknowledges the uphill climb for the Ohio State product, he would like to see the Steelers give Howard a fair shot.
“I would split time with Mason and Will in the preseason,” Roethlisberger said on a new episode of ‘Footbahlin.’ “I think they’d be playing for the backup quarterback job, and whoever plays better is my two. So, that would be the smartest move to do in the preseason. Let these guys battle.”
Howard impressed head coach Mike Tomlin early on in the process, earning praise from the veteran head coach for his work in the spring.
“He’s doing great,” Tomlin said. “But again, we’re at the very beginning of it. I don’t know that we’re looking at it through that lens in terms of evaluating him. It’s more about getting to know him.”
Howard transferred into Columbus from Kansas State, where he was a multiple-year starter and team captain. During his season, the Buckeyes were an up-and-down offense, but became an elite unit once Howard’s play took a significant leap in the College Football Playoff.
This season, Howard threw for 4010 passing yards, a career-high. With that, he posted a 73 percent completion percentage, another career-high mark. Howard had 35 touchdowns to 10 interceptions.
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