Steelers Rookie Reveals Aaron Rodgers Take

Pittsburgh Steelers fans have spent the 2025 offseason holding their breath about the fate of their quarterback situation. After watching Russell Wilson and Justin Fields find new homes in East Rutherford, the Steelers largely held themselves out of the quarterback market.

They signed Mason Rudolph to a two-year, $7.5 million deal – explicitly the contract of a backup quarterback. In the 2025 NFL Draft, they waited until Round 6 to take Ohio State’s Will Howard.

The story of Pittsburgh’s offseason, though, is the pursuit of quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The quarterback’s proclivity for controversy has turned some fans off, but the only two people who stand to lose from Rodgers’ arrival are Rudolph and Howard, who are competing for playing time.

Despite that, both can learn from Rodgers, and neither gains from publicly pushing back against the potential signing. On “Up & Adams,” the Steelers' rookie quarterback revealed his take on Rodgers.

"I don’t know what’s going to happen," Howard told Adams. "That's all over my head. But I’d love to be in a room and learn from him. Again, who knows what’s going to happen? I have no idea, and that’s above my head."

Howard is in store for a redshirt season if Rodgers puts pen to paper. And while the team is stockpiling resources for 2026, it’s possible that studying behind Rodgers lends itself to a long-term backup job or a potential chance to start.

If he gets that chance, he won’t be trying to embody Rodgers.

"They need like a gritty guy. Growing up for me, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and Big Ben, Big Ben was that guy," Howard said. "He was Pittsburgh. He was the Steel City, the blue-collar and gritty guy. And I want to be that, too. I want to bring that edge and that energy. I think I did a pretty good job of it at Ohio State, and I kind of like to pride myself on that and I’m going to try and bring it to the Steel City."

Howard’s game, from his toughness in and out of the pocket to his ability to distribute in the quick game, lends itself to more Roethlisberger comparisons than Rodgers. If the latter comes to town, getting a chance to make good on those comments will have to wait.