Aaron Rodgers hypes up Steelers sixth-round QB Will Howard

The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting on Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers want him back for 2026. Heck, they even hired his old coach, Mike McCarthy, to make him even more comfortable in black and yellow.

For now, though, Rodgers is remaining noncommittal about his future in Pittsburgh and the NFL as a whole.

"There's no contract offer or anything, so there's nothing that I'm having to debate between. I'm a free agent," Rodgers said Tuesday on "The Pat McAfee Show" (h/t Brooke Pryor of ESPN). "I'm enjoying my time with my wife and enjoying this part of the off season, and I think there's conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there hasn't been any progressive conversations."

One would imagine that the Steelers would like Rodgers to make a decision sooner rather than later. If he wants to go play elsewhere or just retires, Pittsburgh will need to find a plan at quarterback.

As far as Rodgers sees it, though, the Steelers may have their next great quarterback already on the roster. They selected Will Howard with a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, and Rodgers revealed to McAfee that he's very high on the former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback.

"He was in my hip pocket for a bunch, and I loved it," Rodgers said of Howard. "I really did. I'm a big Will Howard — not just fan as a human — but believer as a player, that when his time comes, he's going to be more than capable of being, not just a consistent starter, but a guy who can stick in league for a long, long time. And it's because of his mindset."

Pittsburgh Steelers are high on QB Will Howard 

Notably, Howard has the physical tools at 6-foot-4, 236 pounds. He also has championship experience at Ohio State. Howard led the Buckeyes to a 14-2 season and helped them hoist the College Football Playoff national championship trophy.

That mindset Rodgers talks about was undoubtedly formed during that run, but he also had a tough rookie season. He got to learn behind a four-time NFL MVP, of course, but all of those reps were mental.

Howard injured the pinkie on his throwing hand during training camp, and he spent most of the season on the injured reserve or as the emergency QB3.

Is Rodgers just gassing up a young quarterback he'd like to see do well, or do the Steelers really have something in Howard?

Pryor reports that numerous members high up with the Steelers have praised Howard this offseason, including general manager Omar Khan and McCarthy, so he'll be someone worth watching in 2026.