Will Howard will forever be an Ohio State football great. He led the Buckeyes to the national championship in 2024 in his only year with the program. Yet, that single year will keep him from ever having to pay for a drink in the city of Columbus ever again.
Howard was great when he needed to be during the 2024 College Football Playoff. After leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a national title, he was a sixth-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers. Last year, he was a rookie who was hoping to win the backup job.
Instead, Howard broke his hand while handling a snap. The center he was working with didn't snap him the ball properly, and that ended any chance he had of playing in the preseason. Now, he has gotten some great news that could affect his chances of starting next season.
Aaron Rodgers announcing his retirement after this year could help former Ohio State QB
Aaron Rodgers has decided that this upcoming season will be his final one in the NFL. At the age of 42, this makes sense. His play has certainly declined over the last couple of years. Last year was his first year at Pittsburgh. This year will be his second year and his last.
This is excellent news for Howard. With Rodgers retiring, Howard has a shot to show during training camp and preseason that he should get a real shot at being the starting quarterback of the future. Of course, he will have to fight a fellow Big Ten rival for that starting job.
Drew Allar was drafted by the Steelers this past season. He played against Howard in that 2024 season, where Howard dominated Penn State. In fact, the Nittany Lions couldn't even score a touchdown on offense when being led by Allar. That should give Howard confidence.
Former Ohio State quarterback needs to have a strong preseason
If Howard really wants a shot to win the starting job, he has to have a really strong preseason showing. Howard has never taken a snap for the Steelers in an actual game setting. Having a strong training camp would give him a shot to earn those preseason snaps that he so desperately needs.
Howard's success with the Buckeyes has to give him confidence that he can win that starting job when Rodgers is out of the picture. There is always a danger that the Steelers could decide to draft another quarterback in next year's draft if this season doesn't go well, too.
Still, Howard has a year of experience in Pittsburgh's offense. With a new head coach, that might not be as much of an advantage as he hopes, though. Mike McCarthy will have a different offense than Mike Tomlin did with Arthur Smith. Howard has to learn the playbook and excel with it.
This Rodgers news is good news for the future of his NFL career. This could be the chance that Howard has been waiting for in his short professional career.
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