The Pittsburgh Steelers have three options at quarterback if they fail to sign free agent Aaron Rodgers ahead of the 2025 season. One of them is rookie Will Howard, a former Kansas State and Ohio State standout taken in the sixth round who’s anxious for an opportunity regardless of the depth chart in the coming weeks.
Offseason signings Mason Rudolph, who played for the Steelers from 2018 to 2023, and Skylar Thompson are the others in the room.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Howard said of the Rodgers sweepstakes Friday on Kay Adams’ FanDuel show. “That’s all over my head. But I’d love to be in a room and learn from him. Again, who knows what’s going to happen. I have no idea and that’s above my head.”
Steelers owner Art Rooney II said this week he’s willing to wait “a little while longer” on Rodgers’ decision before ultimately moving forward with what Pittsburgh has at the position.
Coincidentally, Howard and Thompson engaged in a quarterback competition previously in the college ranks at Kansas State. Howard lost a battle in fall camp to Thompson ahead of the Wildcats’ 2021 campaign, before taking the job the next two years and transferring to Ohio State for his senior season.
Howard was terrific with the Buckeyes, guiding Ryan Day’s offense to a College Football Playoff berth before recording eight touchdown passes over four postseason wins. Howard set a single-season program record last season with a 73.1% completion rate, along with 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. The only other 4,000-yard seasons in Ohio State history came via Dwayne Haskins (4,831 yards in 2018) and C.J. Stroud (4,435 yards in 2021).
In Pittsburgh, Howard said former franchise great Ben Roethlisberger has taken him under his wing since joining the team after the two connected through a shared agent.
“They need like a gritty guy,” Howard said. “Growing up for me, watching the Pittsburgh Steelers and Big Ben, Big Ben was that guy. He was Pittsburgh. He was the Steel City, the blue collar and gritty guy. And I want to be that, too. I want to bring that edge and that energy. I think I did a pretty good job of it at Ohio State, and I kind of like to pride myself on that, and I’m going to try and bring it to the Steel City.”
There’s currently no established starter for the Steelers, and if Pittsburgh fails to sign Rodgers, that means Howard could be competing with Rudolph for QB1 honors.
If the Steelers do land the four-time NFL MVP, the likelihood of Pittsburgh keeping four quarterbacks on its 53-man roster is slim.
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Author: Brad Crawford
May 24, 2025 | 9:20 am
