Scenario Emerges For Steelers Fans To Finally Watch Rookie Will Howard Start A Game During 2025 Season

The Pittsburgh Steelers now have a very clear path to winning the AFC North after defeating the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 27-22 in Week 14. Despite the massive victory, it's fair if fans remain worried about the future of the organization. Aaron Rodgers is 42 years old and could be playing in his final season, while Mason Rudolph has pretty much solidified himself as a respectable NFL backup. There have been virtually no opportunities to watch Will Howard play, as the rookie missed the majority of training camp due to injury and didn't compete in any preseason contests.

As a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft from Ohio State, it was never expected that Howard would get a true chance to earn a starting role during his first professional season. With the future unclear at the position in the Steel City, however, Rodgers retiring after the campaign could open the window for the young signal-caller to work his way up the depth chart.

It's hard for the fan base to get excited about Howard because he has been virtually nonexistent in the public eye. He missed almost all of training camp when public practices were ongoing, and he has gotten very lost as the third-stringer for the majority of the season. It would be nice for the Steelers to watch him play in a real game, and that isn't out of the realm of possibility with how Pittsburgh's month of December sets up.

The Ravens' upcoming schedule is far from easy. With seven losses and almost no margin for error, Baltimore could easily lose two of three of its next matchups with the Cincinnati Bengals, New England Patriots and Green Bay Packers. If the Steelers can take care of business in the two games that they will be favored in which come against the Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns, Week 18 will almost certainly mean nothing.

If playoff seeding isn't on the line in the final contest of the year, Head Coach Mike Tomlin will likely rest starters. Not only will that give certain guys chances to show what they are capable of, but it could be the ultimate window of opportunity for Howard to get a shot. The team knows what it has in Rodgers and Rudolph, so why not give the rookie the start?

It would be easy to spin Howard's start to the media without insulting Rudolph. Pittsburgh could claim that there is no reason to put its two experienced quarterbacks at risk with the playoffs on the horizon. Tomlin could state that Howard has earned the right to show what he is capable of. It would be best case scenario, especially with an extremely questionable draft class coming out in 2026.

No one can say for certain if Howard has what it takes to be a starting signal-caller in the NFL, but a Week 18 nod would be the perfect way to evaluate him. Given that the matchup is set to take place against the Ravens, if would also give the youngster his first true taste of an AFC North battle. There are a whole bunch of positives and not many negatives if things were to transpire this way for the Steelers.

Steelers Definitely Owe It To Howard To Give Him A Chance

It truly is anyone's guess as to what Pittsburgh will do at the quarterback position in 2026. However, Howard starting a game, even if it doesn't mean much of anything for playoff purposes, could be a great time for the organization to see what it has in the rookie. If he flashes and has also looked good in practice throughout the year, the franchise could potentially not be as aggressive in pursuit of a top-end signal-caller come free agency and/or the draft.

Do you think the Steelers would let Howard start in Week 18 if the division was clinched? Let us know in the comments below!

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