Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard is focused on completing his underdog story at the next level. Selected No. 185 overall in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the former Ohio State signal-caller came off the board more than 80 spots lower than his consensus ranking. For a QB who lit up the CFP, it felt like a snub. But Howard’s been here before—passed over, doubted, overlooked. Mike Tomlin took a calculated swing on a high-upside passer, but in doing so, may have confirmed a misstep that’s now under the microscope. And it has everything to do with the $45 million QB carousel spinning in the background.
Fox Sports’ RJ Young put it bluntly when unpacking why Will Howard was still available on Day 3. “While I enjoy Will Howard, there’s a reason why he was a day three pick,” Young said. “Will Howard, who started his career at Kansas State, did a great job at Kansas State, transfers to Ohio State, really came into his own in the College Football Playoff, where he was just lights out against Tennessee, slinging it against Oregon, slinging it. And against Notre Dame, slinging it.” It’s not that Howard can’t play—it’s just that context matters.
In Columbus, Howard had every tool a starting QB could dream of. “He also had the best wide receiving core in college football,” Young continued. “Emeka Egbuka is a first-round pick and the fifth Ohio State wide receiver to get selected in the last four years in the first round. Carnell Tate will probably be a first-round pick next year. He’s back at Ohio State. Brandon Inniss has an opportunity to be a first-round pick if he shows some things. And then Jeremiah Smith is the best wide receiver in football.” That’s not just talent—that’s an arsenal. As Young points out, “You get to throw the ball to that dude. Yeah, you’re going to be pretty good.”
In many ways, Jeremiah Smith became the cheat code that unlocked Howard’s late-season dominance. “I mean, the only guy that was better at catching the football than Jeremiah Smith was Travis Hunter, and he won the Biletnikoff Award,” said Young. “You might even argue that Jeremiah Smith was a better wide receiver than Travis Hunter. He just was a true freshman. In our sport, it’s really difficult to win the Heisman as a true freshman. It’s even more difficult to do it at a dependent position which depends on service like Jeremiah Smith depended on the service of Will Howard.” And once Ryan Day and Chip Kelly decided to stop complicating things?
“They said, ‘Okay, we’re going to stop being cute about this. Let’s just throw the ball to Four and see what happens.’ Four being Jeremiah Smith. And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as Will Howard was able to start throwing passes regularly to Jeremiah Smith, the passing game started to pick up.” But now, Howard finds himself in a completely different reality. No Smith. No Tate. No Kelly-designed offense. Instead, he’s walking into a quarterback room that includes Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson—and a fourth chair that hasn’t been filled yet.
It’s that final seat that could turn this story into a full-blown quarterback saga. Sources close to the Steelers believe they’re still holding out for the phone to ring, hoping one particular future Hall of Famer finally decides he’s ready for the black and gold. The Steelers’ internal hope? That Aaron Rodgers “calls you and tells you, I want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler.” If that domino falls, everything else starts to make sense.
“I’m going to make it my mission to make sure they regret not picking me.”@whoward_ makes his Draft pitch.
New #HeyRookie tonight 7:30pm ET on ESPN2 pic.twitter.com/TPR7ak0OJE
— NFL (@NFL) April 14, 2025
On the flip side, there’s the $45 million elephant in the room. The Atlanta Falcons, as per Adam Schefter, are asking any team acquiring Kirk Cousins to pick up $20 million of his guaranteed $45 million payout. A steep ask in a league where cap flexibility is king. Cousins still has three years left on his deal, and while Ian Rapoport believes he could become a viable option for Pittsburgh if the Rodgers dream collapses, the price tag makes it tough to justify.
Ironically, Rodgers himself may be part of the problem. His recent comments about Cousins reflected a deeper empathy: “There’s ebbs and flows in the year. There’s not a lot of patience in this league. Kirk’s played at a high level for a long, long time. So, any time there’s a change, that’s got to be hard. So, my heart goes out to him.”
Rodgers is potentially standing in the way of Cousins getting his career back on track. And Will Howard, Pittsburgh’s newest rookie project, is caught in the middle of it all. Just like in college, he’ll have to fight through the crowd and make his own case. Because unless Rodgers shows up—or Cousins takes a pay cut—this depth chart is wide open.
From overlooked to overdue, Will Howard ‘just needs a chance’
Will Howard knows what it’s like to be the underdog. The 23-year-old quarterback had to wait—and wait—for his moment. Before transferring to OSU in 2024, Howard spent four seasons grinding it out at Kansas State, starting just two of those years. And let’s just say his recruiting journey was far from a red carpet. “I feel like my whole career, I’ve been overlooked,” Howard shared on Hey Rookie: Welcome To The NFL.
“I didn’t have an offer from Pitt. I didn’t have an offer from Syracuse. I didn’t have an offer from Boston College, Penn State, Duke, Carolina. None of those schools offered me. I was trying for years.” Now, he’s in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers have made it clear they’re going to take their time with him—no rush, no pressure. But don’t count Howard out just because he’s not starting immediately. He’s been down this road before, and he’s got the battle scars to prove it.
“I’ve pretty much seen every situation that a college quarterback could see,” Howard said. “I’ve transferred, I’ve been a backup, I’ve been benched, I’ve been a starter… I’m seasoned. I’m ready.” He capped it all off with a heartfelt statement: “All I need is a chance.” Will this be it?
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