The Pittsburgh Steelers haven’t had stability at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Roethlisberger has an idea to try and fix that. Appearing on The DVE Morning Show on Wednesday, Roethlisberger outlined his quarterback plan for the Steelers if Aaron Rodgers doesn’t return, and it revolves around 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard.
Roethlisberger believes the Steelers should turn the offense over to Howard and see if he can be a franchise quarterback.
“He just has a heart of passion for it. There’s something to be said about that,” Roethlisberger said. “And he might go out there and not be worth a lick, and I’ll be like, ‘I was wrong.’ But how do we know if we don’t give him a chance?”
Roethlisberger said the team should also sign a veteran mentor, mentioning Carson Wentz and Marcus Mariota specifically as options. He also said he doesn’t believe the team should draft a quarterback “in the first couple rounds,” reiterating some of what he said on his Footbahlin podcast about building the offense as a whole.
“While you were waiting and seeing what Will Howard did, you were building a team that you can plug a young quarterback into,” he said.
Both Mike McCarthy and Omar Khan have praised Howard this offseason, and if Rodgers retires instead of spending a second season in Pittsburgh, Howard is a viable candidate to start. Of course, the Steelers would have him compete with Mason Rudolph. Howard also probably wouldn’t be the favorite, at least to start the beginning of the year, in that scenario due to his lack of in-game experience.
Roethlisberger’s logic is sound, but probably unrealistic. Yes, the Steelers won’t truly know what they have in Howard unless he gets a chance. If he’s good, then the team has a long-term solution, and if he’s bad, the team can have a top draft pick to find its franchise guy. In the interim, adding weapons around the offense to make the transition seamless for the next guy or to bolster what Howard has makes a lot of sense. The only issue is that the team clearly wants Rodgers to return, and it’s hard to see Howard getting an immediate chance without even a preseason game on tape.
There are different paths the Steelers can take if Rodgers retires. They could sign a bigger name free agent, such as Kyler Murray or Malik Willis (Roethlisberger referred to Murray as a “ticket seller” but argued the team should sign someone to help Howard develop). They could opt for a quarterback early in the draft to compete with Rudolph and Howard. But Roethlisberger’s idea would be my preferred choice. See what Howard can do, build up the offense with weapons, and add another veteran who can keep showing Howard the ropes.
Wentz and Mariota may not be my top choices for that role, but the sentiment is the same. Roethlisberger’s plan could all be moot if Rodgers comes back, and Roethlisberger said if Rodgers does come back, the Steelers offense could “explode” thanks to more familiarity with the offense. But it’s an interesting scenario to ponder, and Roethlisberger’s idea makes a lot of sense.
Recommended for you