Will Howard May Not Have Steelers Future

There's a lot working against Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard in his quest to develop into the team's starter down the line.

Former Steelers signal caller and franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger admitted as much on the latest episode of his "Footbahlin" podcast, stating that his margin of error as a sixth-round pick is thin.

"Will Howard is behind the eight-ball big time in the sense that he was a sixth-rounder," he said. "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 sixth-rounder in above a high draft pick ... 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 from the get-go, he's not gonna be able to have hiccups."

Howard revealed that Roethlisberger was giving him some advice earlier in the offseason, and the latter has generally been complementary of the former.

It's hard to dispute Roethlisberger's take that the odds are stacked against Howard in this case, however. Brock Purdy and Dak Prescott are the only starting quarterbacks around the league who were selected on Day 3 of their respective NFL Drafts, and with the Steelers uniquely situated to move up for a high-level player at the position next year, Howard would have to go above and beyond to cement his status as a longterm option for the franchise.

It's unlikely that he'll get the chance to start this season unless something unforeseen occurs, but he should receive plenty of playing time during the preseason and will share a quarterback room with a pair of veterans in Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph that he can develop behind this year.

Depending on how Howard progresses throughout his rookie campaign, there's a world in which he's considered a candidate to start at the beginning of the 2026 season if Pittsburgh believes whatever rookie it chooses isn't ready right out of the gate.

Even so, Howard would have a hard time locking down the starting role without far exceeding expectations. He has the tools to succeed in the NFL, evidenced by the fact that he helped lead Ohio State to a national title last season, but his path to a leading role with the Steelers is convoluted.