Now that he’s back on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 53-man roster after being activated off of the Reserve/Injured list on Wednesday, let the hype train get rolling for rookie quarterback Will Howard.
Former NFL head coach and current analyst Jon Gruden might be the conductor of that hype train.
Gruden, who appeared on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Thursday, raved about Howard and his potential with the Black and Gold, stating that he believes Howard was a steal for the Steelers and will be a good NFL quarterback.
“I love Will Howard. I’m thankful that he is up. I’m shocked that he’s gonna be on the bench much longer,” Gruden said, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “I just think he has everything that you’re looking for. We won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson. He’s got that prototype size I like. He’s 6-4, he’s 225, 230. He’s built like a horse. I mean, he’s a big guy [who] can run the ball. You can run the quarterback power plays and all these quarterback draws that everybody likes to run.
“He can keep it on the zone read. He’s an accurate passer.”
Gruden was high on Howard going into the 2025 NFL Draft. During an appearance on SiriusXM Radio at the Senior Bowl, Gruden compared Howard to Buffalo’s Josh Allen, at least in size and play style. Howard also appeared on Gruden’s QB Class show, leading to Gruden really becoming a believer in Howard.
There’s a lot to like about the Ohio State product. He does have great size at 6042,236 pounds, is tough as nails and brings an element of power to the run game from the quarterback position. He had a phenomenal run in the 2024 College Football Playoff, too, leading the Buckeyes to a national championship.
But he fell to the sixth round for a reason, and then a broken pinkie in training camp caused him to miss all of the preseason, taking away an opportunity to see what he could do in an NFL stadium in limited action while behind the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph in the Steelers’ QB room.
That injury landed him on the Reserve/Injured list to open the season, where he remained until Wednesday. Howard returned to practice on Oct. 22, so he has had some reps under his belt since then.
But chances of him seeing the field this season appear to be between slim and none. Still, Gruden is a believer and thinks the future is very bright for Howard.
“He’s a winner, man. This guy’s a winner. He won big at Kansas State, they won the Big 12. He won the national title. He has the wow factor,” Gruden said. “He’s got a photographic memory. He’s a great communicator. I’ll be shocked if he’s not one hell of an NFL quarterback. And I told a couple of my friends in Pittsburgh, I told Omar Khan, ‘I can’t believe you got him in [the] sixth round.'”
Maybe the Steelers got lucky with Howard falling to the sixth round. Time will tell. But there’s no real slowing down the hype with the rookie quarterback right now.
While Rodgers was playing some good football this season prior to his bad performance in Week 11, there was also a portion of the fan base and the media that remained steadfast in their belief that Howard is the future. That could still be the case, but without seeing him in NFL action, it’s hard to bank on that happening right now.
It will be very interesting to see what the Steelers do at the position next offseason with Rodgers a free agent, and the team potentially having double-digit picks in the 2026 draft in Pittsburgh. The Steelers could be aggressive and trade up for a potential franchise quarterback.
But if they decide to roll with Rudolph and give Howard a look, he has one legitimate supporter who has been in his corner and thinks he’ll be a great one in Gruden.
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