As the Pittsburgh Steelers still figure out what they're doing at quarterback, Will Howard will continue trying to stamp his name and prove himself as a worthy candidate.
He's already got the nods from Steelers coach Mike McCarthy and last year's signal-caller, Aaron Rodgers. But Howard is getting more lauds from the franchise's greatest signal-caller, Ben Roethlisberger.
"I know there are some people out there on the radio and stuff that are just totally against him, and I don’t get it," Roethlisberger said on a recent episode of his Footbahlin podcast. "How can you be against somebody you have never seen play at this level? Like you just can’t."
Roethlisberger continues to support the former Kansas State quarterback, highlighting the lack of options in the upcoming NFL Draft and the franchise's current direction. Roethlisberger believes that the team can settle for a mediocre season and doesn't immediately have to start thinking about championship contention.
"I'm still not drafting a quarterback," Roethlisberger said. "I'm not ready to do that yet. I need to build my team around a quarterback first. I would stick with Will Howard and bring in a veteran guy on a one-year deal. You're not bringing them in to win a Super Bowl right now. You're bringing them in to have a veteran presence around a young quarterback. The worst that happens is you're building a team in the draft, and you end up winning a few games. Now you’ve got a top-10 pick next year. If your quarterback's out there, whether it’s free agency or a drafted guy, now you have a top pick and you don’t have to spend capital to get there."
He advises the Steelers to avoid drafting in the first few rounds and instead look later in the Draft for potential options to compete with Howard.
"It’s okay to have a down season to go try and get a Drake Maye or one of those young quarterbacks," Roethlisberger said. "The Patriots had a couple of down years, then all of a sudden they got a guy, and now you probably gotta guy for the future. You’re at least giving your you’re giving Will Howard a chance."
Howard spent four years with Kansas State before transferring to Ohio State for his final season. A championship elevated his Draft stock, but the lack of success during his Wildcats tenure left more speculation than certainty.
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