Even before Mike Tomlin stepped down, there were always going to be two big questions for the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason: what to do at head coach and what to do at quarterback. While the club answered one of those questions decisively by hiring Mike McCarthy, it’s anyone’s guess what their QB plan is for 2026, especially with Aaron Rodgers technically no longer on the roster.
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But obviously, with his old coach McCarthy coming on board, there is a possibility 43-year-old Rodgers returns. For now, that leaves last year’s backup, Mason Rudolph, and 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, who won a National Championship with Ohio State a few months before he was selected on Day 3 of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Because of that low draft stock, no one has seen much of Howard since he entered the NFL. But he’s got “believers” around the NFL. Surprisingly, one of them is Las Vegas Raiders edge rusher Maxx Crosby, who can envision Howard taking over after another year behind Rodgers in 2026.
“I’m a Will Howard believer, I’m not gonna lie, I think he’s a helluva player,” Crosby said on his podcast, The Rush. “I think Will Howard’s got the size, he’s got the intangibles, he’s talented, he’s a smart quarterback. I think Will Howard just sitting there, learning behind McCarthy and Rodgers is gonna do that franchise a lot of great things.”
It’s always nice to get the respect of your peers and competitors. But the most important seal of approval Howard needs to get is from his new head coach.
Mike McCarthy spoke glowingly of Will Howard at his presser
Thankfully for the soon-to-be sophomore QB, McCarthy is already well on his way to giving that thumbs-up. At his introductory press conference earlier this week, he gushed about the 24-year-old, who happens to be a Pennsylvania native, too, just like McCarthy.
“I’m real excited about Will Howard,” said McCarthy. “He’s someone that I thought really came on there at Ohio State. I’m anxious to work with him. It’d be great to have Aaron back, but Will and Mason [Rudolph], I’m really excited to get started with those guys.”
Sixth-round picks don’t often turn into franchise QBs, but if anyone can do it, it’s McCarthy. As a head coach, he has developed the likes of Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott into elite talents. As an OC back in the early 2000s, he was key in turning Aaron Brooks into a starter-caliber QB for the New Orleans Saints.
McCarthy even worked with Joe Montana and Brett Favre early in his career in the 1990s. When it comes to QBs, McCarthy’s track record is about as pristine as it gets.
