Steelers' Coaching Staff Delivers Glowing Remarks About Rookie QB Will Howard As He Returns To Practice

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a weird spot with the quarterback position ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season. The position has been turned over several times, as the Steelers have had a different opening day starter in each of the last four seasons at the position. Aaron Rodgers has been a great quarterback for the Steelers throughout the start to the 2025 campaign, but the fan base is still worried about the future of the position as there is a strong chance that Rodgers could decide to retire after the conclusion of the 2025 schedule.

It is not confirmed that Rodgers will be returning or retiring after the season comes to a close, but the Steelers need to think about the future of the position regardless. The organization selected Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he was an immediate fan favorite throughout training camp in Latrobe, PA. Unfortunately, he suffered a fluke injury to his throwing hand that kept him from getting on the field during the preseason, and he was not able to return to the practice field until this week. 

Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith was asked about the rookie during his weekly media availability, and he spoke highly about how helpful Howard was while he was on Injured Reserve. The rookie seemed to be more of a coach, but now he is transitioning back to his natural role of being a player.

"Will's been incredible," Smith said. "There's been a lot of things behind the scenes. It's been like having another quality control around the building. We call him Coach Will. But now he's actually back to being a player."

Howard has been healthy for quite some time now, but he didn't return to practice until this past week when Logan Woodside was released from the practice squad. Howard is likely going to serve as the team's emergency third quarterback on game days once fully activated. This is huge for his development, although he seemed to be doing a great job in his "coaching" role.

It was always known that Howard was probably never going to see meaningful playing time during his rookie year. Rodgers was always going to be the starter, and Mason Rudolph is a solid backup with plenty of experience in Pittsburgh. However, the rookie's development would be important to how the coaching staff and the organization would feel about him entering the 2026 offseason. The starting quarterback job could be up for grabs in 2026 if Rodgers decides to retire, and if Howard shows good signs throughout practices, he could certainly be in the running for the title.

It was frustrating that Howard was healthy near the start of the regular season, yet Pittsburgh kept the rookie on IR. It was as if the organization was not prioritizing his development in the slightest, even though he was heavily involved in the film room and in meetings. There was no reason that his first regular season practice should have came towards the end of October, but that is what the franchise decided to do. It's likely that the Steelers wanted to continue also developing other young players on the 53-man roster who were going to have much more playing time.

Steelers' Will Howard Was Still Heavily Involved In Game Planning While On IR

Smith described Howard's role as that of another "offensive quality control coach," which should have been a good learning experience for the rookie. These coaches are typically aiding in game planning for upcoming opponents, which includes helping with scouting reports, while also helping scheme up ways to beat a defense. This should have given the rookie some decent perspective on the NFL, and now he can incorporate everything he learned to the practice field. It would have been nice to see him practicing throughout the regular season, but at least he is finally back on the field with his teammates.

What do you think of Smith's comments on his rookie quarterback? Let us know in the comments below!

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