The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in quarterback purgatory ever since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger after the 2021 season. He was the starting quarterback for the team for 18 seasons, and he had a ton of success as he helped Pittsburgh to win a pair of Super Bowls. The Steelers are desperate to become contenders in the AFC, but that is hard to do without a franchise quarterback. The organization has not been in position to draft a franchise quarterback, and missing on first-round pick Kenny Pickett back in 2022 set the franchise back a couple of years at the position.
The Steelers have been finding band-aids at the quarterback position for the last couple of seasons. Aaron Rodgers is set to start the 2025 season, while Russell Wilson was the starter for most of the 2024 season. A strategy like that is not sustainable, which is exactly why fans are desperate to find a franchise player at the position.
The franchise drafted Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and while the expectations are low for a sixth-round pick, Roethlisberger has some belief in the quarterback. He shared this on the Sports Spectrum Podcast.
"The Steelers took Will Howard in the sixth round this year." Roethlisberger said. "Quarterback, Ohio State, National Champion. He gets drafted sixth round and tears pouring down his face, his dream of playing in the NFL. At least he has a chance. Doesn't mean he's going to make it; sixth round, but he's excited about it. You watch other guys, and they get drafted and are like, 'Let's throw a party. Let's have cameras.' I'm not trying to bash any one person. But you just see the difference sometimes in the love of the game."
Roethlisberger could tell Howard's love and appreciation for the game of football was unique, and that is something that could help propel him into becoming a pretty good professional player. As a sixth-round pick, he is going to have to be patient in waiting for his opportunity, but there is a good chance that a promising opportunity will come while playing in Pittsburgh.
Some were shocked that Howard went as low in the draft as he did. He was coming off of a National Championship with Ohio State during the 2024 season, and he has all the physical tools a team could want in a quarterback.
His build is strong, and he can move around in the pocket and make things happen if a play falls apart. Pittsburgh was lucky that he fell to them in the sixth round of the event, and he could be a guy that is competing for the starting job in 2026 if Rodgers follows through on his plan to retire after the 2025 season.
Roethlisberger seems to believe in Howard, which is good to see as that was not the approach he took with Pickett. Pickett was the first quarterback in Pittsburgh after Roethlisberger's retirement, and the former quarterback came out and said he wasn't necessarily rooting for Pickett. The approach is different with Howard, and hopefully things work out with the rookie.
Steelers Need To Prioritize Howard's Development
Fans should not expect Howard to start a game or see the field at all during the 2025 season. However, his development should be prioritized during training camp and practices throughout the year. He should be the backup behind Rodgers, as the team already knows what it has in Mason Rudolph, there is no need for him to take the majority of the secondary reps when they could be going to Howard. This would be good in the long-run for the Steelers, and for Howard as a player.
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