First things first for a rookie sixth-round draft pick. QB Will Howard is going to enter training camp as one of four quarterbacks and he’ll prove he is more valuable than at least one other player to earn his spot on the 53-man roster. From there, he likely has an uphill battle to get a helmet on game day as anything other than the emergency third quarterback.
One Steelers beat writer sees at least a small possibility of Howard eventually becoming the primary backup during his rookie season.
“I think the Steelers are going to be cautious here. He’s a sixth-round pick. Even if Mason Rudolph is the guy, eventually Will Howard might end up being the number two as a rookie, but they’re not gonna force feed him,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo said recently via Rothman & Ice on 97.1 The Fan. “They’re not gonna throw a sixth-round pick into the mix as a rookie unless something really strange happens with injury.”
Becoming the primary backup would be contingent on Aaron Rodgers not signing with the team. Rudolph would then slide into the QB2 role behind Rodgers, and it’d be difficult for Howard to unseat Rudolph. His only path at that point would be an injury that bumps him up a rung on the depth chart.
Even if Rodgers doesn’t sign, Gerry Dulac said on 102.5 WDVE earlier this week that the Steelers would likely look for a veteran to back up Rudolph. Howard would then have to beat out whoever they bring in, be it Carson Wentz, Desmond Ridder, or Tyler Huntley. The available options are slim, but all of those players have NFL starting experience.
There is also a chance that the Steelers pursue a trade for Kirk Cousins. If he was brought in, he would likely be the starting quarterback with Rudolph becoming the primary backup.
The depth chart could still shake out in a number of ways. Howard’s first challenge will be competing against his former Kansas State teammate Skylar Thompson. According to Fittipaldo, the Steelers think highly of him. He should get every opportunity to earn his spot on the 53-man roster.
“People in that building like him. They like that he’s a winner. They like his skill set. They like the fact that he can run, that he’s a good leader,” Fittipaldo said. “All those intangibles are good qualities, but I don’t get the sense right now that even if Aaron Rodgers isn’t here that Howard is gonna have a big role on this football team.”
Other than the occasional undrafted free agent like Beanie Bishop Jr. or Jaylen Warren, the Steelers haven’t had too many rookie contributors outside the first four rounds in recent years. It’s probably a safe bet that will continue in 2025. But if Howard does earn the top backup role at some point during his rookie season, history tells us he might make an appearance during a game.
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