The Pittsburgh Steelers' chase for a franchise quarterback has fallen flat on its face since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 campaign, but Will Howard plans on filling that void.
During an appearance on the "Up and Adams Show" at the NFLPA Rookie Premiere, the sixth-round pick reminisced about watching Roethlisberger play while growing up and said that he wants to become a franchise face with a similarly gritty style for the Steelers.
"They need a gritty guy," Howard said. "Growing up, for me, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers, it was Big Ben. And Big Ben, he was that guy. He was Pittsburgh. He was the Steel City, the blue-collar, the gritty guy. I want to be that, too. I want to bring that edge, that energy. I think I did a pretty good job of it at Ohio State, and I like to pride myself on that. I'm gonna try and bring it to the Steel City."
Howard will find it tough to work his way onto the field as a rookie if Aaron Rodgers signs with the team, but he can certainly lay the groundwork for a successful career in Pittsburgh by learning from the four-time MVP and treating the upcoming season as a redshirt year of sorts.
The 23-year-old accumulated plenty of experience throughout college, first throwing for 5,768 yards and a program-best 48 touchdowns across 27 starts at Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 season.
There, he led the Buckeyes to their first national title in a decade while posting 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 16 games.
Howard has seemingly turned heads within the Steelers' organization following rookie minicamp, and he's even rubbed elbows with Roethlisberger by appearing on his "Footbahlin" podcast while also keeping in contact with him as he becomes acclimated to his new surroundings.
There's plenty of hype surrounding Howard in the early goings of his professional career, and he plans on exceeding even the wildest expectations placed upon him.
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