Steelers rookie QB Will Howard is ready to learn everything Aaron Rodgers is willing to teach him, except for one thing. That’s the mechanics that are unique to the future Hall of Famer, he says, which he knows he can’t replicate. Everything else, though, he is ready and willing to be an eager pupil at the knee of the great one.
“Aaron’s just been so willing to help me”, Howard said on the Chipped Ham and Football podcast with Brian Batko. It’s a point he has made numerous times in a short span, considering Rodgers just signed. Whether on the field or in the meeting room, however, he has been a gracious teammate.
“He’s literally like, ‘As much or as little as you want me to help you, I’ll be there’. He’s already given me tips, little things here and there. Even in the meeting room, on the field, my drops, different little things”, Howard said.
But he also said there are some things he can’t help him with.
“Obviously, I can’t do the things that he can do mechanically, so I don’t want to replicate that too much, because that’s pretty unique”, Howard said, understanding that sometimes the great ones like Rodgers have their own way of doing things. “But for the most part, everything that I can learn from that guy is invaluable. So I’m like, ‘Dude, as much as you want to pour into me’”.
Will Howard already has one familiar vet in the room in Skylar Thompson, with whom he played in college. Mason Rudolph has also welcomed him with open arms. But let’s not kid ourselves in thinking that receiving that treatment from Aaron Rodgers isn’t on a completely different level.
“‘I want everything you can give me. I’m gonna take everything’”, Howard said of his response to Rodgers. “I’m just excited to watch him work and go about his business and see and take notes on how he operates”.
Will Howard still has a lot to learn, as a rookie, but he is in a great situation. Having the familiarity of Thompson, the experience of Rudolph, and the expertise of Rodgers, he can see the game from a number of angles. Even OC Arthur Smith agrees: having Rodgers here is fantastic for Howard.
Of course, Will Howard also understands that he is the understudy to the understudy of Aaron Rodgers. Under no circumstances do the Steelers anticipate playing the rookie this season, with Rudolph serving as the backup. But they also want to learn about Howard, and what the future might hold for him.
It’s extremely unlikely that he changes their plans for 2026, though. The Steelers are likely targeting a first-round quarterback in next year’s draft. Will Howard will still be here, but Aaron Rodgers likely will not. All the more reason, then, to learn what he can from him now. By this time next year, he could be tasked with teaching a rookie instead of explaining a play to Rodgers.
