Will Howard Update Emerges After Steelers Hire Mike McCarthy

By Owen HillmanShareNewsweek is a Trust Project member

After the Pittsburgh Steelers hired Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin as head coach, people immediately thought of a reunion with Aaron Rodgers taking place. However, Rodgers’s status with Pittsburgh is uncertain, and McCarthy is already interested in his backup.

On NFL Network with Bridget Condon, NFL Network's Tom Pelissero illuminated what McCarthy thinks of the backups, “They do have other options on the roster,” he said. “Mason Rudolph is still under contract. Will Howard, a late-round draft pick last year out of Ohio State that they are really high on in the building. My understanding is that Mike McCarthy also is very intrigued by the upside of Will Howard.”

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Howard was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. The former Kansas State/Ohio State quarterback had just come off a season where he won the 2024 national championship with the Buckeyes. He completed 73% of his passes (an Ohio State record) for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

His scouting report on NFL.com gave him a comparison to former Jacksonville Jaguars quarterback Blake Bortles. His strengths included outstanding size and toughness in and out of the pocket, elevated postseason play, ability to work off the script, good mechanics, great accuracy and an ability to buy time for routes to develop when pressured.

His weaknesses included being pretty predictable and not being able to throw outside the numbers or in tight windows against NFL corners. He also had a lack of eye manipulation, something very important for NFL quarterbacks.

There are few people who could be a better mentor for a young quarterback than Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is the least turnover-prone quarterback, with his 1.4 interception percentage better than any other quarterback in NFL history. He’s made it to 10 Pro Bowls, won four MVPS and a Super Bowl under Mike McCarthy. He could’ve absolutely helped Will Howard figure those parts of the game out.

However, there is lingering doubt that Rodgers will stay in Pittsburgh due to his UFA status. “Even if Rodgers wants to play again and McCarthy would like to have him in 2026, the veteran quarterback doesn’t know what the rest of the league landscape will look like in even a few weeks,” according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports.

If Rodgers doesn’t return to Pittsburgh, Howard might be the play as Steelers quarterback in 2026.

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