Steelers Legend Proclaims 'Thin Margin of Error' for Rookie QB
As a sixth-round draft pick, Will Howard's chances of eventually becoming the starting quarterback are not great.
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First off, he's already behind the 10-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl champion, Aaron Rodgers for at least this season.
Second, he's going to have to beat Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson to get closer to Rodgers on the depth chart, and per legendary Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, that could be tough.
"Will Howard is behind the eight-ball big time in the sense that he was a sixth-rounder," Roethlisberger said on his "Footbahlin" podcast. "Unless he comes out at some point this year, he'd have to play this year. Not just practice. Aaron would have to get hurt; we don't want that, but Will would have to play and play well. Otherwise, they're probably gonna go draft a quarterback high.
"When they draft a quarterback high, they're most likely not going to put the sixth-rounder in above a high draft pick ... Will's road is going to be tough here in Pittsburgh, I believe. Unless he gets a chance to get out there and he plays well from the get-go, he's not gonna be able to have hiccups."
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Howard has five year of experience in the college ranks, splitting time between Kansas State and Ohio State, winning a national championship with the Buckeyes last season.
But that doesn't always translate to the NFL, especially during a rookie season.
Related: Steelers' Terry Bradshaw Cracks Top 15 Best NFL Quarterbacks Ever
Related: Steelers' New Corner Brings Health Concerns
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
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