Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard has to be one of the most interesting sixth-round picks in recent memory.
An NFL castoff during his Kansas State career, he completely shifted his trajectory in his final collegiate year at Ohio State, posting a dominant season ending with a championship. It led to the Steelers drafting Howard with the No. 185 overall pick as a potential backup to Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
With Rodgers contemplating retirement and Pittsburgh stuck in another quarterback rut, Howard is in an odd dilemma. Steelers general manager Omar Khan isn't completely ruling him out of a starting position.
"We mentioned Aaron [Rodgers], but we all agree that we're looking for that next franchise guy," Khan said Tuesday morning to reporters. "We're not there yet, and we may have the guy on the roster, we don't know. With Will [Howard], we're excited to work with him. But we know that has to be addressed, and we're all looking for the same thing. We're just not there yet."
Howard was anticipated to get some backup reps, but suffered an injury during training camp that sidelined him for months. Pittsburgh clinched a postseason spot with Rodgers under center, but his future with the team is bleak as a 42-year-old on the decline. The Steelers want to find their franchise option after years of a revolving door at the position.
It's the uncertainty keeping Howard and Steelers fans on their toes. Khan alluded to Howard as the potential next man up. He also alluded to Rodgers possibly returning. Or looking toward the Draft.
So...yeah.
"There are some good players in [the Draft], but it's early, so we'll have to go through the process," Khan said. "I will say, we're excited to work with Will. Coach McCarthy has talked a lot about how much he liked Will coming out. He and I have spent some time watching his practice tape. Obviously, we didn't have the ability to watch him in games, which would've been good. But we've watched the tape and we've seen all the progression. There's some exciting stuff to see."
Still, many are lauding Howard for competing in the NFL. Including new Steelers coach Mike McCarthy. Even for his relatively lackluster resume with Kansas State, his redemption run with the Buckeyes illustrated his true promise alongside pro-level weapons.
“I’m really excited about Will Howard,” McCarthy said about the former Wildcats signal-caller. “I think he’s someone who really came on at Ohio State. I’m anxious to work with him. It would be great to have Aaron back, but Will and Mason - I’m really excited to get started with those guys.”
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