NFL Analyst Drops Bold Will Howard Prediction In Another Aaron Rodgers Slight
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Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum hasn't held back in his critiques of Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
He did so once again Friday morning on ESPN's First Take.
Tannenbaum believes that Rodgers won’t finish the 2025 season as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback. Instead, he declared that Will Howard will be starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers by December 1.
Tannenbaum’s confidence in the rookie quarterback is thrilling. He highlighted Howard’s championship run at Ohio State, 4,010 yards and 35 passing touchdowns which strongly indicated high stature for a starting position.
"Will Howard, remeber the name. Sixth round draft pick from Ohio State, won a national championship, had a really ruff pre-draft process," said Tannenbaum. "I like his ability and I think at some point late in the season we're gonna see him play meaningful games."
The Steelers made waves earlier on this offseason by signing the 41-year-old signal-caller, hoping that his veteran leadership will take hold and lead Pittsburgh to the postseason. However, Tannenbaum challenged this notion seeing cracks in the franchise’s plans with the veteran quarterback. He supported this notion by citing Pittsburgh’s poor pass protection last season, along with Rodgers’ age.
"He's gonna be 42 in December," said Tannenbaum. "Last year Pittsburgh gave up sacks at the 28th worst rate meaning that they really struggled to protect the passer. They're gonna get back Troy Fautanu this year but I just don't see him making 17 games," Tannenbaum said.
Despite Rodgers' strong campaign at Pittsburgh’s minicamp, Tannenbaum suggests that coach Mike Tomlin will play the best man. With rookies like first-rounder Troy Fautanu expected to boost the line and Howard waiting in the wings, the quarterback battle in Pittsburgh is starting to heat up ahead of training camp.
However, if anything were to happen to Rodgers during the upcoming season, Mason Rudolph would likely be next in line to take the lead. Rudolph gives Pittsburgh a solid starting option with playoff experience, as Howard continues to grow as Pittsburgh's next potential leader.
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Skylar Nelson majored in Journalism at Howard University. Since 2022, she has covered the NBA, MLB, NFL, Howard athletics, and high school sports. Her work has been featured in The Washington Informer, Athlon Sports, The Hilltop Newspaper and Cover 2 Cover Magazine.