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Ben Roethlisberger hedges against the hype surrounding Steelers rookie QB Will Howard based on something out of his control

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 6:34 PM ET

Will Howard has a lot of excitement and anticipation surrounding him.

And rightfully so, considering he just won a national championship and is a rookie on the Pittsburgh Steelers.

But in terms of actually playing for the Steelers, that isn't going to be easy according to Big Ben...

Will Howard behind the 8-ball?

"Will Howard is behind the eight ball big time in the sense that he was a sixth rounder," Roethlisberger said on his Footbahlin podcast. "Unless he comes out at some point this year, he'd have to play this year. Not just practice. Aaron would have to get hurt; we don't want that, but Will would have to play and play well. Otherwise, they're probably gonna go draft a quarterback high. . .

" . . .When they draft a quarterback high, they're most likely not going to put the six rounder in above a high draft pick. Otherwise, it's like, 'We made a mistake? It's gonna have to be like, 'Holy cow, this dude can play? Will's road is going to be tough here in Pittsburgh, I believe. Unless he gets a chance to get out there and he plays well right from the get-go. He's not gonna be able to have hiccups."

The facts of the matter are that, Howard a sixth-round pick in the NFL Draft, is at the bottom of the totem pole. As Ben said, the only way he plays in 2025 is if something goes terribly wrong at quarterback.

But the same thing happened with Tom Brady, with Brock Purdy, and countless others. That's not to say Howard will achieve their success, but the blueprint has been laid out, and Howard is more than capable of following it.

Keeping his head down, working hard, and making sure to take advantage of every rep, every single day, is how he will win. He will stick out by doing his work quietly. That's his recipe for success. We'll see if he follows it.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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