Steelers Suddenly Sound Extremely Confident In Will Howard's Development

The Pittsburgh Steelers' decision to use a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on Will Howard has continued to generate excitement. It’s not often a sixth-round quarterback enters an organization and creates the kind of buzz Howard already has. That alone says a lot about both the person and player he is. However, none of that matters if he can’t put it all together and develop as a quarterback at the NFL level.

With Mike McCarthy now in town, there’s optimism that the longtime 'quarterback whisperer' can help turn Howard from a potential backup into maybe even a starting-caliber quarterback at some point down the road. The Steelers also selected Drew Allar out of Penn State in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Now, McCarthy has two young, low-risk but exciting quarterback options with upside. Still, it’s going to take significant work to turn either project quarterback into a reliable NFL starter.

Aaron Rodgers is back for the 2026 season, but he has made it clear this will likely be his final year. That means Pittsburgh will need to identify its quarterback for 2027 and beyond sooner rather than later. Howard and Allar will continue to get opportunities to develop, but the road ahead won’t be easy. Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth spoke to the media following Organized Team Activities on Wednesday and offered a very telling update on Howard’s current progress.

"He's performed well here at OTAs up to this point," Arth said while speaking on Howard’s 2026 offseason. "Once we get into training camp and the preseason, that is where those true evaluations will really start to take place, but he’s doing everything and more that we could ask of him. He has by far been exceeding expectations, so we could not be happier with where he is at."

It’s not typical for a sixth-round pick such as Howard to generate this kind of hype, and that’s something this fan base knows well. Late-round quarterbacks are usually developmental flyers, not players already sparking internal buzz and outside curiosity before they’ve taken a meaningful NFL snap. Still, Steelers fans are starting to rally behind Howard for a few clear reasons.

One is the growing belief inside the building. The organization seems to genuinely like what it sees. His mental makeup stands out, his confidence is steady, and his ability to absorb information has impressed coaches early. He has also taken a winding path to get here, from Kansas State to Ohio State, where he ultimately led the Buckeyes on a national championship run during the 2024 College Football Playoff. That stretch turned heads across the league and left a lasting impression on Steelers fans who value composure on the biggest stages.

Steelers Feel Really Excited About QB Will Howard

On top of that, Howard’s performance so far, paired with the opportunity to learn behind Rodgers for two seasons now, has created what feels like a perfect developmental setup. Add in the presence of Allar, a third-round pick hand-selected by McCarthy, and the quarterback room suddenly carries a layered and competitive narrative.

Still, hearing Arth speak about Howard and McCarthy express optimism raises the real question for Steeler Nation. Is this legitimate belief in a rising talent, or early-stage hype designed to build confidence? As Arth made clear, training camp and the preseason will be the true measuring stick. For now, the excitement is real, but the answers are still ahead.