Could Will Howard Have Similar NFL Journey As Former MVP Frontrunner?

One Pittsburgh Steelers analyst believes the quarterback can have similar success as San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard (18) throws during the first half of the College Football Playoff quarterfinal against the Oregon Ducks at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. on Jan. 1, 2025. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard has drawn comparisons to Josh Allen for his stature and play style.

Now, he's intertwined with another recent MVP candidate in discussions around his NFL potential. Pittsburgh sports reporter Dejan Kovacevic was asked if Howard could follow in the same footsteps as San Francisco 49ers' Brock Purdy, one of the top NFL MVP candidates in 2023.

"'I know Will Howard was a sixth-round pick,'" the fan asked on a Friday episode of DK's Daily Shot of Steelers. "'Do you think there's a chance he can end up an expected good starter like Brock Purdy with the 49ers?'"

Kovacevic believes Howard could possibly start if the Steelers make the playoffs, replicating his Ohio State postseason performances.

"He showed up in big games," Kovacevic said. "He rose up in big games. He played his very best football in Ohio State's four biggest games."

Purdy was the last selection of the 2022 NFL Draft. He saw his first action in 2022 after quarterbacks Jimmy Garoppolo and Trey Lance suffered season-ending injuries, eventually leading the 49ers to the NFC Championship before exiting with injury in the blowout loss. The next year, he led San Francisco to the Super Bowl after an MVP-level season, throwing for 4,280 yards, 31 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions with a league-high 113.0 passer rating. The 49ers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs, but he solidified his spot as the new starter.

Howard was also selected late in his draft, but Purdy's success as a seventh-round pick could give the former Kansas State quarterback reassurance entering Pittsburgh.

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Jayden Armant is a graduate of the Howard University School of Communications and a contributor to Kansas State Wildcats on SI. He can be reached at jaydenshome14@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @jaydenarmant.