There aren't many sixth-round picks that get that much hype in the NFL.
Then again, not many late-round selections have the same story as former Kansas State and Ohio State quarterback Will Howard. The long-time Wildcat transferred to the Buckeyes in his fifth collegiate season, completely rewriting his professional trajectory in just one year.
And those in the NFL world are noticing. The latest to laud Howard was former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive coordinator Bruce Arians.
"I thought the Steelers did a great job hiring Mike McCarthy," Arians said on Inside the NFL. "He’s got a great track record offensively of developing quarterbacks. I think the big hope is to keep Aaron Rodgers for another year or two, and they have a great relationship. So that makes it very easy. But I think he’ll do a good job of developing the young guy, who I think has a ton of upside: Will Howard. I think he's the future of Pittsburgh, and I think it’s a great hire by the Steelers."
He was the wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator for Pittsburgh's championships with Ben Roethlisberger. Arians also held head coaching positions with the Indianapolis Colts, Arizona Cardinals, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, where he won two Coach of the Year Awards and a Super Bowl in 2020. During those years, he oversaw quarterbacks Andrew Luck, Carson Palmer, and Tom Brady.
So yeah, he knows a thing or two about good signal-callers. And to be fair, Howard's last full season was one for the ages. He had 1,150 passing yards, eight touchdowns, and two interceptions amid one of the most thrilling postseasons in recent memory.
Still, Howard's ineffectiveness at Kansas State hampered his Draft resume. He was in a rotating room with Adrian Martinez and Avery Johnson, not really showing anything that solidified him as a pro. The Buckeyes were a more suitable team, but that argument works more against him than for him. The narrative leaned more toward Howard getting carried by star weapons and an elite defense than him improving with a better team.
Yet and still, Pittsburgh bet on him as a potential backup option to Aaron Rodgers. We're still a ways away from the start of the 2026-27 NFL season, but Howard has all the hype in the world from several stars and onlookers. We'll see what the organization and Steelers coach Mike McCarthy do with Rodgers, Howard, and Mason Rudolph heading into the year.