Will Howard Sends Strong Message to Steelers

It's safe to say Will Howard is happy to be a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.

During his media availability on the first day of rookie minicamp, Howard spoke about his connections to the franchise and what makes Pittsburgh such a perfect fit for him.

"I think everything," Howard said. "The culture, it just fits who I am as a person and who I am as a player. It's close to home, I got a lot of connections to Pittsburgh. Coach [Mike Tomlin], I wanted to play for him. Arthur [Smith] and coach [Tom] Arth. I knew coach Arth, he recruited me at Akron, and one of his players from John Carroll [University] coached me at Ohio State last year, so I have a lot of connections with him. It's just, everything kind of fell into place. As the draft went on, you never know where you're gonna end up, but you keep a little spot in your heart for where you really wanna go, and I had a little soft spot for Pittsburgh.

"I was hoping in my heart that they'd pick me. I know on that like 'Hey Rookie' show they showed a clip of me begging Pittsburgh to pick me just cause it's a long three days and you never know what's gonna happen, but I'm blessed man. I could not be in a better place, and Pittsburgh is gonna get my all every single day."

The Steelers selected Howard with the No. 185 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. After throwing for 5,768 yards and 48 touchdowns over parts of 34 games at Kansas State to open his collegiate career, the Pennsylvania native transferred to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 campaign and helped lead the program to its first national title in a decade.

In 16 total contests last year, Howard logged 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions on a 73.0 percent completion rate.

The 23-year-old would likely slot in as Pittsburgh's No. 3 quarterback next season should Aaron Rodgers sign with the team. If the four-time MVP were to spurn them and they weren't to add a different veteran signal caller, however, than Howard would battle fellow Kansas State alum Skylar Thompson for the backup role behind Mason Rudolph.

Howard has the necessary tools to forge a successful career in the league, and now it's just a matter of putting all the pices together. He'll have the opportunity to develop in a lower-stress environment without being rushed into game action, and if his comments are any indication, he's ready to hit the ground running.