The Pittsburgh Steelers have been very busy this offseason, as they have loaded up their roster in an effort to make a deep playoff run in 2025. One of their more underrated moves, at least from a long-term perspective, was the selection of quarterback Will Howard in the 2025 NFL Draft. And while the pick wasn’t wildly popular, franchise legend Ben Roethlisberger liked it.
Howard is fresh off leading the Ohio State Buckeyes to a National Championship in 2024, but he didn’t generate a ton of interest from quarterback-needy teams in the draft. The Steelers ended up taking a flier on him in the sixth round, adding him to a quarterback room now headlined by Aaron Rodgers.
Howard will undoubtedly spend his entire rookie season watching from the sidelines, unless something goes catastrophically wrong. While Howard’s upside isn’t as high as some of the other quarterbacks in the 2025 draft class, Roethlisberger revealed he’s a fan of the former Ohio State star for one big reason.
“He gets drafted sixth round and tears pouring down his face, his dream of playing in the NFL,” Roethlisberger said on “Sports Spectrum Podcast.” “At least he has a chance. Doesn’t mean he’s going to make it; sixth round, but he’s excited about it.
“You watch other guys, and they get drafted and are like, ‘Let’s throw a party. Let’s have cameras.’ I’m not trying to bash any one person. But you just see the difference sometimes in the love of the game.”
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In his lone season with the Buckeyes, Howard threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns, both of which were tops in the Big Ten. With the Steelers, he falls behind Rodgers and Mason Rudolph on the depth chart, with the veteran Skylar Thompson also factoring into the mix.
Roethlisberger isn’t guaranteeing Howard will pan out, but he could tell right off the bat he loves the game of football. And who knows, maybe he could learn a thing or two while working alongside Rodgers and eventually become the quarterback of the future in Pittsburgh.
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