Super Bowl winning coach says Will Howard will start for Steelers soon

Former Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Will Howard has been waiting on the Pittsburgh Steelers' bench all season as Aaron Rodgers leads the team. Still, Howard's patience might pay off soon enough.

While appearing on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, former NFL head coach and Super Bowl champion Jon Gruden thinks a change at quarterback could be on the horizon. Gruden even thinks Howard has a long future in the NFL.

“I’ll be surprised if Will Howard is on the bench much longer. He’s got everything you want in a quarterback.”

“I’ll be SHOCKED if Will Howard isn’t a good NFL quarterback.”

Super Bowl winning head coach Jon Gruden on @937thefan:

“I’ll be surprised if Will Howard is on the bench much longer. He’s got everything you want in a quarterback.”

“I’ll be SHOCKED if Will Howard isn’t a good NFL quarterback.” pic.twitter.com/kuzzNiSIBR
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) November 13, 2025

Howard was stellar in his one year at Ohio State last year, throwing for a Big Ten-high 4,010 yards, 73% completion percentage, 35 touchdown passes, and seven rushing scores. He led the Buckeyes to a national title before getting selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

During training camp, Howard was dealing with a hand injury that resulted in him starting the season on IR. The Steelers activated him from the IR this week, and the hope is for him to be the second or third-string quarterback for Pittsburgh for the rest of the season.

For the time being, Howard will have to wait to see what happens to Rodgers after the season with the Steelers. The team has already stated that they would like him to return for another year as the starter.

It's a good situation for the former Buckeyes quarterback, as it will give him time to learn the NFL and not feel the pressure of having to be great right away. Howard also benefits from learning from one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history.

What could make Howard a great quarterback in the NFL is his size for the position, as he stands at 6-foot-4, 236 pounds. He can use his mobility to make plays out of the pocket while being able to run over defenders to pick up extra yards.

Even if Rodgers decides to retire after the season, the Steelers will bring in another quarterback to challenge Howard for the job and force the young signal-caller to earn the job. Howard will not be given the job as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin will make him earn the job.

Buckeyes fans would love to see Howard land the job soon, but waiting for the right opportunity is not a bad thing either.