Super Bowl Winning Head Coach Determined Steelers Got A "Steal" Late In The 2025 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers have seemingly improved their roster in a big way throughout the 2025 offseason. The organization injected youth into the defense while solidifying the defensive line, and also landed a huge weapon for the offense in DK Metcalf. Despite the many reasons for optimism, the future of the franchise will look bleak until the quarterback situation gets figured out. General Manager Omar Khan and the rest of the team's brass are awaiting a decision from four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers on what he plans to do with his future, while the current quarterbacks on the roster present a big question mark.

Going into the 2025 NFL Draft, the only two quarterbacks on Pittsburgh's roster were Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Rudolph is penciled in as the starter until a decision is made by Rodgers, and the organization also added to the room on the third day of the draft by selecting Will Howard. The young quarterback burst onto the scene after leading Ohio State to a victory in the National Championship, and he has promising physical attributes thanks to his size and mobility.

The fan base in Pittsburgh is so desperate for decent quarterback play that some fans want to see Howard start right away, however that is very unlikely. There have been a handful of quarterbacks in NFL history that were late picks that went onto have great careers, and some believe Howard can do that. One of his believers is former NFL Head Coach Jon Gruden, who spoke about the quarterback on Sirius XM.

"I'll go on record here," Gruden said. "The Pittsburgh Steelers got a steal in Will Howard. That guy is a stud."

Pittsburgh selected Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and Gruden was shocked to see him still on the board. The former coach got to know the quarterback when Howard appeared on his show Gruden's QB Class, where Gruden was infatuated with Howard's size and running ability.

Howard had over 1,100 rushing yards during his college career to go along with 26 touchdowns, and some of those scores came on runs that were over 70 yards. His mobility is exciting, and Gruden even compared him to reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen. The two are similar in size, but Howard has a long way to go before being in the same conversation as Allen.

It would be nice to see Howard get an opportunity to play and turn into a franchise quarterback in Pittsburgh, but the chances of that are slim. He might not see the field at all during the 2025 regular season, and the organization will probably be targeting a top-ranked quarterback in the 2026 draft class. The franchise should still find a way to prioritize Howard's development during his rookie season, especially if the year goes sideways early on.

Steelers Need To Make Will Howard The Primary Backup Regardless Of What Happens With Aaron Rodgers

Barring an amazing training camp performance, it is safe to say that Howard will not be Pittsburgh's starter entering the 2025 season. Either Rudolph, Rodgers, or some other veteran will be. However, the way the quarterback room looks currently, Howard should be inserted as the backup so he can have the most opportunity to develop. Third-string quarterbacks normally don't take any snaps against the starters in practice, so Howard being in that role would do nothing for Pittsburgh really early on.

If Pittsburgh can't land Rodgers or another veteran, Rudolph should start while Howard backs him up. On the other hand, if Rodgers does sign a deal with the Steelers, Howard should be his backup while Rudolph is the third-string quarterback. The organization already knows what it has in Rudolph, and it should prioritize Howard's development over keeping Rudolph happy if that is what the situation comes to.

What do you think about Gruden's remarks regarding Howard? Let us know in the comments below!

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