Will Howard Ty Simpson
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Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio argued the Pittsburgh Steelers are hyping Will Howard as a smokescreen for Ty Simpson.
With the 2026 NFL Draft approaching, the league’s calendar is in the time of the year for lies and deception. NFL teams do whatever they can to disguise what they plan to do in the upcoming draft.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio argued the Pittsburgh Steelers are using quarterback Will Howard as part of their 2026 deception.
Florio stated, in actuality, the Steelers want to draft Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson in the first round.
“I think they’re trying to keep their cards close to the vest in hopes that Ty Simpson slips to them,” said Florio on his Pro Football Talk podcast. “All that Will Howard stuff is just smoke.
“I think they’d like to get Ty Simpson and Aaron Rodgers based on some stuff I heard yesterday. Rodgers plays for one more year then Simpson takes over.”
By “Howard stuff,” Florio is referring to the high marks Steelers new head coach Mike McCarthy and others have had for the 2025 sixth-round quarterback this offseason.
“I’m really excited about Will Howard. He’s someone that I thought really came on at Ohio State,” McCarthy said during his Steelers introductory press conference. “I’m anxious to work with him. It would be great to have Aaron back, but Will and Mason [Rudolph], I’m real excited to get starter with those guys.”
Steelers general manager Omar Khan and team president Art Rooney II have also raved about Howard this offseason.
Steelers Delivering Will Howard Smokescreen This Offseason?
It’s impossible to confirm Florio’s theory with the Steelers on Howard. Again, it’s the time of year for deception in the NFL. Teams use the media to push narratives that are not true.
Four years ago, the media hype around the Steelers was Mike Tomlin loved Malik Willis. But in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, the team picked Kenny Pickett.
It wouldn’t be shocking for the Steelers to draft a quarterback in the first round this year. The team needs a long-term starter, and as a sixth-rounder, Howard is far from a sure-thing.
Some NFL mock drafts have projected Simpson to land with the Steelers at No. 21 overall. But Steelers insiders have strongly suggested the team isn’t interested in a first-round quarterback this spring.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported on March 2 the Steelers probably won’t select a quarterback before the third round.
“The Steelers have little if no intention of taking a quarterback with their top pick because they think there is only one — Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza — worthy of going in the first round,” wrote The Pittsburgh Post Gazette’s Gerry Dulac.
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly has argued it doesn’t make sense for the team to target a quarterback at No. 21 because of the weak class behind center this year.
Projecting Ty Simpson’s NFL Draft Stock
For a lot of Steelers pundits and fans, the 2026 class is just too familiar to the one from 2022 that delivered Pickett to Pittsburgh.
Similar to Pickett four years ago, there are things to really like about Simpson. But, there are significant concerns too. He’s likely to be a first-round quarterback, though, because it’s a thin class behind center.
Pickett was the first quarterback off the board at No. 20 in 2022. The Steelers have the No. 21 overall selection this year.
In 2025, which was another thin quarterback class, the Steelers also held the No. 21 pick. With Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders still on the board, Pittsburgh picked defensive lineman Derrick Harmon.
If Simpson is still available at No. 21 this year, will the Steelers pass on quarterback again?
According to Dulac, they will. But according to Florio, they won’t.
Obviously, the Steelers have to firmly believe in Simpson as a potential franchise quarterback to draft him in the first round. They might have to be convinced Howard isn’t part of their quarterback solution too.
That’s a difficult decision to make since Howard hasn’t even played in the preseason.
Drafting Simpson and signing Aaron Rodgers would give the Steelers four quarterbacks. That would likely mean the team parting ways with either Howard or Mason Rudolph before the 2026 regular season.