As the Pittsburgh Steelers inch near the one-month point to the Draft in their backyard, one name has drawn more attention as time develops.
Former Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, who spent his fifth collegiate season at Ohio State, was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. Like many, Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo doesn't believe the organization should hand the reins to a sixth-round pick with a very thin NFL - or college - resume.
"You could be all in on a guy but not have him be your day-one starter," Fittipaldo said Friday on 93.7 The Fan. "I don't think you'd wanna put that pressure on him, so you would have a Mason Rudolph or another veteran be that placeholder, similar to what you did with Kenny Pickett. You let him sit there and learn. And then when he's ready, that might be October, that might be January. But whenever he's ready, you give him the keys. I don't see them handing him the keys and making him a day-one starter. I just don't think that's gonna happen."
Howard remains a complicated story. The Wildcats' veteran spent four years in Manhattan, KS, putting together decent seasons but constantly rotating at the starting position. He transferred to the Buckeyes for his final year of eligibility, transcending his Draft stock and putting the national watchers on notice. He won a championship and eventually threw his name in the ring for conversations in the pros.
Still, the Steelers selected him in the sixth round of the Draft, not showing an urgency to really get him. Perhaps it was that they already had Rodgers and didn't feel the need for a quarterback, or maybe they didn't want to gamble that high on a player with only one notable season of experience. It certainly doesn't help that he spent most of last season recovering from a preseason injury, so he didn't run many snaps or even get the chance to back up Rodgers.
And yet, he's still actively in the conversations, even if they aren't entirely positive. Howard has been the most prominent name for the Steelers outside of Rodgers and Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. But you'd have to imagine he's probably tired of hearing all the buzz and would like some answers sooner than later.
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