It’s not a secret that former NFL head coach Jon Gruden is a big fan of Pittsburgh Steelers QB Will Howard. Howard won Gruden over during his famous “QB Camp” ahead of the draft, and since then, Gruden has been a believer in Howard. Appearing on Cam Heyward’s Not Just Football podcast, Gruden doubled down on his praise for Howard and believes he can be a winning quarterback in the NFL.
“I think you see, probably closer than anybody that the guy has the it factor. He’s got very good charisma, he’s smart, he’s a great communicator. He’s got some talent and I’m just hoping he gets a shot at some point with the Steelers,” Gruden said. “He’s got that winning aura that I think a lot of people covet.”
Later in the episode, Gruden compared Howard to Brad Johnson, who won a Super Bowl with Gruden and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.
“I compare Brad [Johnson] to Will Howard, honestly. Brad was the bull. We called him the bull because he was tough as hell. He took a lot of shots. He was a great pocket passer, great communicator, and he was loyal to the team. He didn’t say anything negative, nothing bothered him. He was mentally and physically tough.”
Howard and Johnson both have the prototypical size teams look for in a quarterback, with Johnson measuring in at 6’5 and 235 pounds, while Howard came in at 6042 and 236 pounds at the NFL Combine. If Howard could have a career anywhere close to Johnson, it would be a big win for the Steelers, who selected him in the sixth round in the 2025 NFL Draft.
Johnson played 15 seasons, starting 125 games and going 72-53 as a starter with the aforementioned Super Bowl win. As it stands right now, Howard’s spot on the 53-man roster could be tenuous as the Steelers have four quarterbacks, with Aaron Rodgers and Drew Allar locks to make the roster.
Howard will need to prove that he can be a viable backup to supplant Mason Rudolph on the roster, but it’s clear that Gruden, who’s known for his ability to evaluate quarterbacks, believes that Howard has a real future as a starter in the NFL. A strong training camp and preseason could mean that opportunity comes with the Steelers at some point.
While Johnson might not be the loftiest of comparisons, he’s still a Super Bowl winner who spent a lot of time in the NFL and is a pretty big one for a player who hasn’t taken a snap in even a preseason game. Howard has a lot to prove over the next few months and how he performs will determine whether or not he might get the opportunity to be a long-term starter in Pittsburgh.
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