The buzz around Will Howard in Pittsburgh has reached levels that are almost hard to wrap around a player who has never taken a regular-season NFL snap.
Howard, a 24-year-old second-year quarterback selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State, spent his entire rookie year on injured reserve after fracturing his hand during training camp.
Despite never playing, his reputation inside the building has only grown. Now, new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has made the hype official at the 2026 NFL Owners Meeting, saying Howard would not have made it to the sixth round had McCarthy been the one doing the drafting.
Pittsburgh Steelers, Will Howard
Oct 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard warms up for a game against the Green Bay Packers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images
He told reporters:
“If I was drafting players that year, he wouldn’t have been around in the fifth or sixth round. I valued him higher than that based off Kansas State, and man I thought he jumped out of the TV set during the college playoffs.”
McCarthy continued: “He’s definitely a real prospect as a starting quarterback. I believed that when he came out.” He also declared that Howard “has all the traits to be a starting quarterback.”
Mike McCarthy’s love affair with Will Howard is growing. Now says if he was running the Steelers draft last year. Howard would have been long gone by 6th round. And Howard has “starting quarterback traits”. Howard is most hyped 6th rounder in NFL history. pic.twitter.com/jZojL5ukIb
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) March 31, 2026
McCarthy Sees Room to Grow and Plans to Use Rodgers as the Model
Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy looks on at a press conference announcing him as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Jan 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy looks on at a press conference announcing him as the new Pittsburgh Steelers head coach at PNC Champions Club at Acrisure Stadium.. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
The praise came with a candid breakdown of Howard’s areas for development. McCarthy noted:
“You can talk about his throwing motion, some things throwing the ball. I think there’s a lot of growth with his feet.”
Then McCarthy pointed to exactly who he wants Howard learning from: “You’ve got the best guy that’s probably ever done it in Aaron Rodgers. I mean, you look at the way Aaron throws, just watch his feet. Watch the ground force explosion that comes up from his feet to his hips into his throwing motion. There’s room for development there. I think there’s a lot to work with Will.”
Rodgers remains unsigned heading into the draft, and the Steelers are still waiting on a decision. McCarthy said he speaks with Rodgers regularly and remains confident in where things stand.
The longer that situation stays unresolved, the more Howard’s name stays in the conversation.
For Pittsburgh to develop a franchise quarterback without having to spend top-five draft capital would be a significant organizational win, and McCarthy is clearly not brushing off the possibility.