Steelers Reveal Reasoning Behind Drafting Will Howard

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Dibyendu Mondal | Last updated May 4, 2025 1:45 PM ET

Will Howard, former Ohio State quarterback, was selected by the Steelers in the sixth round as the 185th pick. With Justin Fields having signed with the Jets in free agency, Howard is now in contention to become Pittsburgh’s next signal-caller. His initiative towards that impressed the Steelers.

Devin Jackson from The Philadelphia Inquirer reported in a story published Wednesday , "In the aftermath of being drafted, Howard has already gotten a jump on his NFL preparations. On Sunday, Howard reached out to Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth for plays, according to his mother, much to the delight of the Steelers coaching staff."

“[Arth] wrote [Will] back and said, ‘Hey, we were going to give you the weekend off, but this is why we drafted you, because it’s the kind of worker you are,’” Maureen said.

Pittsburgh’s quarterback room for 2025 will feature Mason Rudolph, Skylar Thompson and Howard, all competing for depth roles beneath the likely starter. The team’s rookie minicamp runs May 9–11, with Howard set to take every rep possible to solidify his grasp of the playbook.

Pittsburgh bound!! @whoward_ #exceling pic.twitter.com/MzFHlmHl2k
— excel football (@excelfootball) April 26, 2025

Organized Team Activities (OTAs) follow May 27–29 and June 3–5, offering Howard further opportunities to translate his classroom study into on-field chemistry.

Steelers staffers believe his immediately apparent initiative and attention to detail could fast-track his development, positioning him as a potential backup as early as this season and a legitimate contender for a larger role in 2026 and beyond.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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