Steelers Already Impressed by Their New Rookie Quarterback
Many people expected the Steelers to draft a quarterback within the first few rounds of this year’s NFL Draft. However, the team waited until the sixth round to select a quarterback. They chose Ohio State’s Will Howard. Before playing for Ohio State, Howard played for Kansas State. He started for multiple years when he was with Kansas State. During the 2024 season, Howard amassed 4,010 passing yards. This marked a career high for him. He also had 35 touchdowns.
Howard immediately made an excellent impression on the Steelers. The day after the draft ended, he contacted Tom Arth, the team’s quarterback coach, to get some practice in immediately. Howard’s mother, Maureen, said that Arth told her son that the team was going to give him the weekend off. According to Maureen, Arth said, “This is why we drafted you, because it's the kind of worker you are.” Howard started working the Monday after the draft. Throughout the scouting process, Howard’s leadership and intangibles impressed the Steelers. Even though he wasn’t one of the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft class, many fans and analysts think that Howard has what it takes to become a starter. He isn’t expected to be a starter this season. The Steelers are still waiting on a decision from Aaron Rodgers about signing a one-year contract with them. If Rodgers doesn’t sign, the team may let Howard compete with veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph to determine which one of them will be the team’s starting quarterback.
Speaking about Howard, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said, “I think like a lot of people, how he responded to that adversity at the end of their regular season and the leadership and play-making that he displayed throughout the Playoffs was really attractive. It’s really what NFL football is about. There’s going to be some adversity. How you respond to it defines you and your football team, particularly from the quarterback position.” Howard’s work ethic is comparable to Najee Harris’. During his rookie season, Steelers coaches actually had to tell Harris to go home. Many fans and analysts believe that Howard is a wonderful fit for the Steelers.
NFL Network Analyst Gennaro Filice is the most recent analyst to offer praise for the Steelers drafting Howard. Filice referred to Howard as the sleeper pick of his class. Howard is six feet four. He weighs 236 pounds. Howard is a big, strong, and physical quarterback, which is what the Steelers tend to gravitate towards. He has a lot of experience. He’s started 44 games throughout his college football career. Howard led Ohio State to the National Championship. It will be interesting to see if Howard truly does develop into the Steelers’ next starting quarterback.
