Quarterback Will Howard did not participate in any games during his rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers after suffering a right hand injury in training camp. The injury prevented him from playing in preseason as well.
Howard resumed practice on October 22 and was added to the active roster on November 12. He did not play in any regular season games but served as backup to Mason Rudolph in Week 12 against the Bears following an injury to starter Aaron Rodgers, and was listed as the third quarterback for other matchups.
“Reps are reps. At this level, especially going against our first team defense,” Howard said upon returning to practice in October. “I think a lot of people look at scout team as just something that you’re skipping over. But I think you can really get a lot out of it when you look at it the right way and you approach it the way.
“I think there’s a lot to learn from that stuff, and stuff you can work on that maybe you can’t really do when you’re working with the offense and trying to perfect the plays.”
Despite not gaining game experience during 2025, Howard said he benefited from learning alongside veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“He’s been awesome,” Howard said during the season. “He’s been so gracious with his time, his energy, towards me. Anytime I ask him a little question, just something little, he’ll dive into a whole response about why he does this and what it’s good for. It seems like he just cares, and he cares about giving back, which is rare. I really, really appreciate that because not all people are like that, and it shows what kind of person he is.”
The Steelers selected Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft with the 185th overall pick out of Ohio State University.
Howard played one season for Ohio State after transferring from Kansas State University. In his college career spanning both schools, he appeared in 50 games and completed 767 of 1,202 passes (63.8%) for 9,796 yards with 83 touchdowns and ten interceptions.
At Ohio State, Howard started all 16 games for the Buckeyes and led them to a school-record 14 wins along with a College Football Playoff National Championship title. He set records by completing 309 of 423 passes for 4,010 yards and throwing for 35 touchdowns while achieving both career- and school-best completion percentages; he also recorded eight games with at least an 80% completion rate—an Ohio State record.
In recognition of his performances in key victories during the postseason—including wins over Texas in the Cotton Bowl and Notre Dame in the CFP National Championship—Howard received Most Valuable Player honors.
Howard began his collegiate football career at Kansas State where he played four seasons (34 games), completing 458 of 779 passes for 5,786 yards and recording 48 touchdowns.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are recognized as one of the NFL’s historic franchises as part of their Hall of Fame listings. The team has achieved six Super Bowl championships according to official records and continues community engagement through historical celebrations such as those featured at their Hall of Honor Museum located at Acrisure Stadium as detailed on their website.
