With their sights set on Aaron Rodgers, the Pittsburgh Steelers opted not to spend a high draft pick on a quarterback this year. Instead, they waited until the sixth round to take a signal caller, adding Will Howard to their roster. Howard spent the 2024 season at Ohio State, helping them win a National Championship.
Being a Day 3 pick, Howard’s odds at becoming a franchise quarterback are slim. However, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, Howard’s 2024 teammate, believes the quarterback will soak up anything Rodgers teaches him.
“From what I hear from Will [Howard], we talk, and apparently Aaron [Rodgers] is pouring into him constantly,” Egbuka said Thursday via 93.7 The Fan on Twitter. “And Will is just a sponge. He’s gonna absorb everything that Aaron is giving him, all the knowledge and all the experience. He’s not gonna forget it. It’s gonna be borrowed knowledge, not bought.”
Egbuka and Howard were only together for one year at Ohio State, but they made it count. The two of them formed a dynamic duo. With Howard throwing him the ball, Egbuka posted 81 catches for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns. It was one of his best collegiate seasons, helping him become a first-round pick earlier this year.
Despite their short time together, Howard seems to have left a strong impression on Egbuka. Howard wasn’t drafted on Day 1 like Egbuka, but the latter still has faith that his former quarterback can succeed in the league.
Learning from Rodgers should help with that. The four-time MVP has been in the league since 2005, so he’s got a wealth of knowledge to pass on. While he joined the Steelers to be their starter and help them compete for a Super Bowl, Rodgers has made it clear that he’s also willing to mentor Howard. The two have already formed a bond.
Unfortunately, it might be a while before Steelers fans see Howard on the field. He suffered a hand injury in training camp that could force him to miss the entire preseason. With the Steelers chasing a Super Bowl, it doesn’t seem likely that Howard will get playing time during the regular season, barring some unforeseen circumstance.
The silver lining to that is Howard has more time to sit and learn. Howard can take a lot away from effectively redshirting his rookie season. While Rodgers isn’t in his prime physically, he’s still highly knowledgeable.
The lessons that Howard learns now could help improve his NFL career in the future. It’s tough for sixth-round picks to succeed in the NFL at all, let alone as a franchise quarterback. Howard has nice tools, though, so if he can take this year to adjust to the NFL, he could improve his chances at success.
