The Pittsburgh Steelers are among the few teams that don’t yet have their starting quarterback locked in for the 2025 season. Ohio State’s National Championship-winning QB Will Howard is now hoping he might get a shot.
A lot was made of the Steelers’ visits with Shedeur Sanders and the potential for the franchise to select him in the draft. They instead opted to wait until the sixth round, where they selected Will Howard.
Pittsburgh Steelers Drafted Howard Amid Rodgers Wait
The Pittsburgh Steelers had a meeting with Aaron Rodgers before the draft, and there is a chance that he will sign to play for the 2025 season. It’s been an odd off-season period for Mike Tomlin’s team, which traded for disgruntled Seattle Seahawks wide receiver DK Metcalf and promptly handed him a $132 million contract.
The only problem with that is the fact that he doesn’t yet have a starting quarterback to throw him the football.
Tomlin was adamant that whatever decision Rodgers made wasn’t going to impact the way they approached the draft as a franchise. GM Omar Khan and Tomlin then decided on Will Howard, offering potential value in the late rounds.
He might have had to wait until the sixth round, but Howard is prepared to squeeze everything he can out of the opportunity:
“It’s not about when, it’s where,” Howard remarked, “And that was what I kept saying to myself. And I had to trust in God and believe that he had a plan for me, and that the right team was going to pick me, and I think 100% the right team picked me.”
Will Howard on waiting to be picked in 6th round: “It's not about when, it's where. And that was what I kept saying to myself. And I had to trust in God and believe that he had a plan for me, and that the right team was going to pick me, and I think 100% the right team picked…
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) May 2, 2025
Footage emerged of Will Howard on ‘Hey Rookie’, pleading with the Steelers to pick him as their pick rolled around.
Howard was getting a little stressed as night three of the draft ticked on, saying, “Please pick me, Pittsburgh.” with a grimace. Moments later, his phone rang, and when he was asked if he was ready to be a Steeler, Howard pounded the table in celebration.
Steelers fans have got themselves a quarterback who was thrilled to land with the franchise, while being adamant that it was the perfect spot for him all along.
Howard May Learn From a Super Bowl Winning QB
There are a couple of ways this can go now for the Steelers, who have a roster that can compete right now if the right quarterback is running the show.
They may hope to land Aaron Rodgers on a short-term contract, with the view to going all in and winning a Super Bowl in 2025. Will Howard could then sit and learn behind him for the season before potentially earning a shot as the starting quarterback in 2026.
Or, if Rodgers opts against coming back to the NFL this season, Pittsburgh will have a QB battle between Mason Rudolph and the rookie right now.
There’s a chance that Howard could win the starting job right away, despite being a sixth-round pick. Rudolph has had multiple chances to impress, and while he’s returning to Pittsburgh, there doesn’t appear to be any expectation that he’s about to become the franchise quarterback.
It’s a great opportunity for the National Championship-winning quarterback either way, and it’s exactly where he wanted to be.
a true Pittsburgh Steelers fan, since the 70’s The Steelers don’t need Aaron Rodgers because Aaron Rodgers only cares about himself