Ben Roethlisberger Slams Media Over Steelers’ Will Howard

Howard's Tumultuous Rookie Year

After helping lead Ohio State to a national title in his first and only season with the program in 2024 after transferring over from Kansas State, Howard landed with the Steelers at pick No. 185 overall in last year's draft.

He appeared to have gotten off to a fast start at rookie minicamp and bounced back from a self-admittedly rough introduction to OTAs before later heading to training camp in Latrobe last July.

Howard took steps forward in his development there and only seemed to be improving as the days went on, drumming up plenty of excitement along the way.

The 24-year-old suffered a freak hand injury on a center exchange, however, which kept him out for the entire preseason and resulted in a trip to the reserve/injured list that didn't end until Week 11.

Howard never stepped onto the field while serving as the Steelers' No. 3 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph once healthy, but he may have a chance to prove himself this upcoming season.

Should Howard Get a Chance at Starting Job?

Unless Rodgers decides not to return to Pittsburgh and the organization doesn't bring in a different veteran in his place, it's unlikely that Howard will compete for the starting job in 2026.

That shouldn't serve as an indictment on his talent or potential, though. Howard's rookie campaign was essentially a redshirt year, and he could benefit from sitting behind Rodgers, who took the former under his wing, for another season.

Howard's arm strength, mobility and downfield prowess as a passer in college are all reasons to feel optimistic about the kind of signal caller he can eventually become in Pittsburgh.

As a late Day 3 pick who hasn't yet gotten any live action as a pro, though, it's hard to truly project or predict how Howard will perform once that opportunity arises.

Roethlisberger is of the mindset that Pittsburgh should avoid selecting a quarterback in the early rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft and instead give Howard some runway while building a more complete roster around him, which could pay off long-term for the organization even if he doesn't pan out.

“I don’t think the Steelers should go get a quarterback any time in the first couple of rounds,” Roethlisberger said. “Don’t go get [Ty] Simpson or [Drew] Allar. Don’t do that. Build the team. Get receivers, get corners, get line. Build this team.

“And if you put Will in and Will is not worth a lick, then guess what, you’re going to have a not good season. … You’re going to get a top pick and you can find out if there’s a good quarterback that you want in the draft. But while you were waiting and seeing what Will Howard did, you were building a team that you can plug a young quarterback into.”

For as much as the debate of whether or not Howard is a starting-caliber signal caller is going to continue to rage on this offseason, it's all for naught until he actually gets under center in a game for the Steelers.