The Steelers have talked up second-year QB Will Howard quite a bit, but are they willing to back up their abundant enthusiasm? Assuming Aaron Rodgers returns, he is, at best, in a position to be a backup. The clear focus this year is to develop him after missing even the preseason as a rookie. But how much do they believe in his potential; enough to avoid this year’s quarterback draft class entirely?
That’s what Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review would like to see. After listening to owner Art Rooney II and new HC Mike McCarthy lavish praise on Will Howard, he questions what it would mean for the Steelers to draft another quarterback in the “developmental” rounds.
If they actually do believe to some degree that Will Howard … [can] perhaps prove that he can be a starting quarterback, then it’s really redundant to have another mid-round talent-type guy”, he said on the #1 Cochran Sports Showdown. “Why have two of them roster at the same time? If there’s any hope to develop him in the eyes of Mike McCarthy, in the eyes of the new coaching staff, in the eyes of the Steelers organizationally, then there would be no reason really to do that, to me”.
“To me”, he added, “that would tell me that they don’t believe in Will Howard if they take a quarterback in the third [round or later]”.
The Steelers selected Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. While he drew praise from coaches and teammates alike during the offseason program, he suffered a hand injury shortly before the start of the preseason. He missed the entire slate and then spent a considerable portion of his rookie year on the Reserve/Injured List.
Late in the year, the Steelers brought Howard back to the 53-man roster, which gave him an opportunity to practice. But they kept him busy while sidelined, and Aaron Rodgers had a hand in that. They worked his mind, teaching him how to scout and prepare above the neck.
Will, ultimately, we’re talking about a second-year sixth-round pick who has never stepped foot inside a stadium in-uniform. The amount of praise we have heard from the likes of the Steelers’ brass and new coaching staff about Will Howard is, it would seem to me, disproportional to the reality. He may very well be talented, but there isn’t a lot to base it off of right now.
The Steelers, by appearances, are hoping that Aaron Rodgers returns, and Will Howard probably does, too. He praised Rodgers as a mentor, and Rodgers praised Howard, taking him under his wing. But there is still a lot of ground to cover before anybody can consider him for a future starting job.
So if the Steelers were to take a quarterback in the later rounds, one who isn’t clearly and obviously earmarked as having an opportunity to start in the near future, what would that mean for Will Howard? They are, in theory, trying to develop him right now. Could they manage to develop two quarterbacks simultaneously? At a minimum, it would look like hedging their bets. But this is a business, after all. It’s also a business that provides few quarterback reps.
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