will howard steelers

Will Howard is a rookie quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers who spent most of the 2025 season as their emergency third QB behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph, and he still hasn’t logged a regular-season snap going into early 2026. He’s viewed as a low-cost developmental option with some buzz in the fanbase because of his size and college résumé, but the team has not yet committed to him as a future starter.

Who Will Howard Is

• Will Howard is a quarterback drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State.

• He transferred to Ohio State, where he won the 2025 College Football Playoff National Championship and put up strong passing numbers that boosted his profile.

Current Role With Steelers

• In 2025, Howard opened the season on injured reserve after suffering a fractured right hand in training camp, delaying his chance to compete in preseason.

• After being activated in mid-November, he has consistently been listed as the Steelers’ emergency third quarterback, only eligible to play if both Rodgers and Rudolph leave the game.

Playing Time And Debut Talk

• Team and local reporting have framed late-2025 Week 17–18 as possible windows for Howard to see his first NFL snaps if the Steelers had already locked up their playoff position.

• Even in that scenario, expectations were that he might appear in relief rather than start, as coaches remain focused on Rodgers and Rudolph for meaningful games.

How The Team Seems To View Him

• Analysts describe Howard as a developmental quarterback: big frame, strong arm, and a winning college pedigree, but still needing NFL game reps to prove whether he can be more than a backup.

• With Rodgers aging and Rudolph under contract short term, Howard gives the Steelers a cheap in-house option while they monitor the 2026 quarterback draft class and other veteran possibilities.

Fan And Forum Discussion

• Steelers fan forums reacted positively to getting Howard in the sixth round, calling the value “unreal” and seeing him as a high-upside swing without heavy draft cost.

• At the same time, many fans acknowledge that until he plays real snaps, excitement is mostly speculative and centered on his college tape and draft slot rather than NFL production.

Bottom line: Right now “Will Howard Steelers” is about a promising, inexpensive project QB who intrigues fans but is still waiting for his first real chance to prove anything on the field.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.