Does Will Howard have any real shot at competing for the Steelers’ backup quarterback job?
Will Howard has already achieved fan-favorite status among Steelers fans, but appeal doesn’t equate to talent, potential, or opportunity. Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger recently indicated he believes Howard deserves a chance to compete for the backup role this season. While that seems unlikely, does he have a point, considering they have no long-term starter?
Some fans don’t like to hear this, but the Steelers didn’t draft Will Howard to develop him into a franchise quarterback. The reality is, no team that views a quarterback as having franchise potential lets him sit until the sixth round. That doesn’t mean they won’t hope for the best, but they’re not going to devote all their energies to his maturation, such as bypassing a first-round quarterback next year.
But the Steelers know Aaron Rodgers is almost undoubtedly a one-year rental, and Mason Rudolph is who he is. They aren’t counting on him being able to lead them to a Super Bowl, so that leaves Will Howard as the unknown quantity.
In contrast to Howard, the Steelers actually drafted Rudolph to develop into a potential future franchise quarterback. But even he couldn’t earn the backup job as a rookie, losing out instead to Joshua Dobbs, displacing Landry Jones.
Howard is the type of quarterback, though, who would need a lot of reps to develop. If they relegate him to third-string status, he likely won’t see the reps necessary to make many advancements. While he has the practicality to carve out extra work after practice, that just doesn’t cut it.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rodgers will need to work after just signing with the team before minicamp. Mason Rudolph knows the Steelers, but he doesn’t know Arthur Smith. At the same time, should they earmark Will Howard for a redshirt season, banished to the emergency quarterback role?
And what would a competition between Mason Rudolph and Will Howard look like for the backup quarterback job? There will be days that Rodgers won’t practice, so there will be some opportunities for them to see increased reps. And if the Browns can manage a four-way quarterback competition, surely the Steelers can manage a two-horse race.
The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein.
Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is the quarterback question. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The 2025 NFL Draft class is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete.
But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. At least we can finally put the Aaron Rodgers situation to bed and move on to other things. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go.
