Will Howard makes his case for Pittsburgh's starting quarterback role

Will Howard makes his case for Pittsburgh's starting quarterback role originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Aaron Rodgers has yet to inform the Pittsburgh Steelers of his plans regarding playing in 2026; no expectation of when he will make a decision, before or during the draft weekend. The Steelers have been relying on Mason Rudolph and a sixth-round selection from last year as their two quarterbacks in the depth chart.

To clarify, the sixth-round selection referenced is Will Howard from Ohio State, and this week, he appeared on the “Not Just Football” show with Cam Heyward, where he clarified his stance.

"Hey, I'm here, man," Howard said, per a clip shared by Matthew Luciow on X. "I don't know what Aaron's going to do. If he wants to come back, I'd be more than happy to spend another year learning. But if he doesn't, I'm ready. I'm just excited this year to be able to show the city and show my teammates and everybody within the organization that I can be the guy that they can lean on, and that I can be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers."

That is an important statement to make publicly while the issue remains unsolved; there is no disagreement on that.

Howard was a sixth-round selection that many believed would spend his initial years learning from a veteran.

In his first season, he received positive remarks from coaches and teammates. Rodgers has been said to act as a mentor, offering guidance during minicamp practices and demonstrating a real concern for his growth.