Steelers Offer Will Howard Another Sign of Respect

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers clearly like Will Howard. They can't stop talking about him. But now, their actions are showing confidence in their second-year QB, as they clear a path for him to earn his place long-term with the franchise.

According to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac, the Steelers have no intentions of drafting a quarterback unless they feel their upside is higher than Howard's. Which means there's a real likelihood that Howard, Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph and a fourth QB fill out the team's room this year. And that the fourth isn't a threat to Howard's path toward starting.

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The Steelers really like the upside of Howard.

"I will say this. I should have mentioned, we're excited to work with Will (Howard)," general manager Omar Khan said at the NFL Combine. "Coach McCarthy, he's talked about how much he liked Will coming out (of college)... We watched all the practice tape and seen the progression, and there's some exciting stuff to see."

Right now, he's the backup plan if Rodgers decides not to return, and he's going to get an opportunity in the future, even if it's against a first-round pick in 2027. The Steelers aren't spending all this time and effort to support him not to.

Howard still has a long journey before being a starting QB in the NFL, and for the Steelers. He'll eventually need to compete against a draft pick that will likely be selected significantly earlier than he was. Even with two years of experience, he won't have the upper-hand in the battle, and will need to beat the political game of being drafted lower when that competition happens.

But the Steelers are making sure he's got the best opportunity to succeed given the circumstances. They're going to give him two full years of (most likely) learning from Rodgers and a full season under new head coach Mike McCarthy, who has plenty of plans on how to improce Howard's game.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard — Pittsburgh Steelers

At some point, Howard will need to put his work to the test. It won't be today, though. For now, he gets to spend more time preparing, learning and developing. Really, the Steelers are giving this sixth-round pick much more of a chance than most who come into the league in his shoes.

If it works out, the Steelers look like huge winners in all of this. And in five years of trying to make a quarterback succeed in Pittsburgh, this is by far the best opportunity they've given anyone.

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