Former Ohio State Buckeyes national champion signal-caller Will Howard may or may not be the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback of the future. ESPN's Brooke Pryor and Matt Miller shared a confusing joint update about the position as the NFL draft approaches, all as Aaron Rodgers weighs his future with the Steelers.
Per Pryor, "It seems unlikely the Steelers will use their first-round pick on a quarterback, but don't rule out a selection on Day 2 or Day 3, even if Aaron Rodgers returns. New head coach Mike McCarthy and the scouting staff have been doing their homework on several prospects in the quarterback class, including Carson Beck (Miami), Drew Allar (Penn State), and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU). Both McCarthy and GM Omar Khan have been transparent about their signal-caller wish list: long arms, big hands, and a knack for thriving in the cold weather."
Per Miller, "The Steelers might not have a clear-cut quarterback of the future on the roster, but one internal source said that they won't be forced to draft one this year. That source noted Pittsburgh will play the board first and that Will Howard, last year's sixth-round pick, has fans in the front office."
Steelers don't have enough talent to support Will Howard
We've seen what Howard could do with an all-star offensive cast that featured several day one and day two skill-position players in Columbus. When he doesn't have elite talents around him, he produces solid, if non-special seasons, as he did with the Kansas State Wildcats.
Pittsburgh isn't even capable of the kind of year that K-State had in 2023. The Steelers are severely lacking in the receiving corps as things stand beyond DK Metcalf. Pittsburgh had the No. 2-ranked offensive line with a PFF pass-blocking efficiency of 88.8, giving up a sack per game. Howard's mobility is similar to Rodgers at this point, and the loss of left guard Isaac Seumalo hurts the OL.
It's unclear if the Steelers' long-term plan will be Howard or a 2026 draft prospect based on the reporting ESPN shared. If it is Howard, there needs to be significant improvements elsewhere to reach his championship ceiling. As things stand. Pittsburgh almost certainly doesn't have enough.