Will Howard may have been the quarterback of college football’s best team last season, but even he’s surprised at the NFL talent level. After practice on Friday, Howard talked to reporters about how he was adjusting to the NFL. One thing that he has noticed a difference in is the speed of every player.
“For me, it’s the speed, the speed of everyone across the board,” said Howard via the Pittsburgh DSEN YouTube channel. “Obviously in college, you got guys that are really fast. But everybody here is fast. I mean, you got d-linemen that are tracking you down. And linebackers that run like DBs in college. That is definitely different.”
While I’m sure it is a jump in overall speed, Howard may be playing a bit coy. This past NFL Draft, Ohio State saw 14 players drafted to the league and led all schools in 1st round draft picks. They came just one pick shy of tying the record for most players taken from a school in a single draft. Of those 14, seven were defensive players, so I’m certain he is at least used to being chased by defenders who are quick in their own right at practice.
Howard admitting the change in speed from college to the NFL should be a bit sobering for Steelers fans. Even as those in the national media float him as a potential 2026 starter, he still has a ways to go and hasn’t thrown an NFL pass. That’s not to say Howard can’t be a great quarterback for the team, he certainly could outperform his pre-draft scouting report. But it’s fair to wait until the summer to begin truly evaluating his play and potential.
Before the ball’s snapped and the defense can fly around, Howard says he’s also getting used to NFL play-calling.
“Looking at the playbook and the offensive side… it’s just a little more wordy,” said Howard. “You kind of gotta get used to the flow of the play calls and, and calling them. It’s part memorization and part visualization.”
So on top of the speed of the game, the speed of processing the game still needs to seemingly slow down for Howard. Let’s keep in mind, he’s a rookie. Not only that, but he’s a sixth-round rookie to a team that just signed a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Long story short, he won’t be starting any time soon, giving him ample time for the game to slow down for him.
