Everything Aaron Rodgers Said About Steelers' Will Howard During 'Pat McAfee' Appearance

Rodgers went into depth on Howard's potential during his time with McAfee on Wednesday.

The Steelers took Howard in the 2025 draft. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Legendary quarterback and possible retiree Aaron Rodgers was on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday to discuss everything from his mysterious wife to his thoughts on the Steelers' decision to hire Mike McCarthy as their next head coach, a choice he described as "an awesome thing."

But the 42-year-old QB also took some time to praise young Pittsburgh signal-caller Will Howard, whom the Steelers drafted out of Ohio State in 2025. Howard did not play in his rookie season—a hand injury during training camp derailed what could have been some preseason opportunities—so fans and pundits are wondering if 2026 could be his year.

Pittsburgh has been without a franchise quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2022, and really needs to remedy the problem should they hope to snag that elusive seventh Super Bowl ring. Could the much-hyped but rarely-seen Howard be the solution to the problem? Or will the team get its answer in the draft, either this April or next?

Rodgers didn't totally answer that question—it's not his job to, in any event—but he did provide some insightful feedback on Howard and his overall abilities that should soothe fans' minds moving forward. Here's a look at everything Rodgers said about Howard during his time on Pat McAfee on Wednesday.

Rodgers on mentoring Howard

At one point during the conversation, Rodgers was asked whether young quarterbacks are constantly contacting him for advice on how to succeed in the NFL. He joked that his phone isn't ringing off the hook, but he is certainly open to helping the league's rising stars. He then explained how he helped and mentored one young player in particular:

"I'm just gonna talk about one guy that I really poured into this year a lot, and that was incredible to work with, and that's Will Howard. I knew about Will watching him ball out for Ohio State—I didn't really pay a ton of attention when he was at Kansas State, I'll be honest with you—but I loved watching him with Ohio State [...]. ... I didn't know what to expect when Will came in or how it would be with me. And Mason and [Skylar Thompson] for that matter, as well. But the room was a fantastic room. I mean, I love those guys. We still have a group chat that lights up all the time.

"But Will, in general, I think, has what it takes from a personality and a moxie standpoint to have a long career in the league. You never know what's going to happen til the live bullets start flying. But I went to him early in camp, and I said, 'Listen, I'll help you as much or as little as you want.' It's kind of my nature to inject during a drill work or during a meeting because I want you to see the game the way I see it. And I want you to be thinking about the things that a young player should be thinking about."

"I really wanted to pour into Will and make sure he knew that I cared about him, and I wanted him to be successful. And anybody who was in Latrobe and watched practice was like, 'Damn, this Will Howard is pretty damn good.' He was having a real nice camp until he had a fluke injury, which kind of allowed him to just reset and learn the game."

"But Will has the right mindset. He's a very humble guy. He asked a lot of questions. He was in my hip pocket for a bunch, and I loved it. I mean, I really did. I'm a big Will Howard not just fan as a human, but believer as a player that when his time comes, he's going to be more than capable of being not just a consistent starter, but a guy who can stick in the league for a long, long time. And it's because of his mindset.

"He's got an old school mindset where he takes notes, he's talking about the right things, he cares about it, he takes care of his body, and I think he's got even more to give from that standpoint. But I'm excited for him. I told him this when Mike [McCarthy] was hired—Mike knows how to work the quarterback room, and Mike knows how to be involved, to teach the game, to teach defenses, to teach you how to be an expert of the offense, and then give you the keys to take control. So I love working with Will.

"I think he learned a lot this year and I think he's got a bright future."

On what he saw in Howard

Given the fact that Howard was injured for camp and beyond, McAfee asked Rodgers what he saw from the OSU export that makes him so confident he will succeed in the NFL. Rodgers gave a long and thoughtful answer:

"It all comes down to processing for a young player. Can you process the defense quickly?" Can you process the type of play we are in ... "That's what I talk to him a lot about, like, where do your eyes start with each play? Because you need to simplify things in order to process quickly. And then part of processing is anticipation. Can you throw with anticipation? In college, you see a guy open, you throw it. In the NFL, you expect the guy to be open, so you anticipate and throw, and the windows are tighter, so you have to throw with anticipation. So I saw that late in the year as he returned to practice.

"I think from an intelligence standpoint, processing, the pre-snap stuff, I think he's going to be great at that. He was my right-hand man with all the signals this year. He was phenomenal at that. He sat next to me in every meeting. He was sitting next to me in the quarterback room. He sat next to me in the big room when we went offense, and I loved it because I was always whispering things to him [...]. ... And he learned how I did. When I was a young player, I studied defenses and I studied defensive signals and secondary and different things. And that's what he was doing.

"And then he was watching me, self-scout me on what signals I use during the week. I think it was anything but a wasted year. It was a year that he's going to look back on at some point and be really thankful that he learned football in that way. I'm proud of his progression. And like I said, he was playing great in training camp before he had that fluke hand injury. ... He can throw it, he can move, and as he continues to refine his body and get more reps, I think he's going to realize his potential."

On Howard's personality

Early in the interview, Rodgers praised the Steelers' QB room as one of the highlights of his 2025 season. He said the following about Howard, in particular:

"What a great young player. Just got the right moxie, the right personality, and loved working with him."

On retirement

Last year, Rodgers took quite some time deciding whether or not he'd be playing another season in the NFL. In February, Steelers GM Omar Khan insisted things would go much quicker this go-around ... but what Rodgers said Wednesday makes it seem like there are no guardrails in place for ensuring that actually happens.

“I’ve talked to Mike [McCarthy]. I’ve talked to Omar. There’s been no deadline that’s been put in front of me," Rodgers said. "There’s no contract offer or anything, so there’s nothing that I’m having to debate between. I’m a free agent, and I’m enjoying my time with my wife and this part of the offseason. I think there are conversations to be had down the line, but right now, there haven't been any progressive conversations."

You can watch the full interview below:

---