Steelers' Mike McCarthy Could Be Setting Will Howard Up For Failure In 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally have an offensive-minded head coach for the first time in almost 60 years. With Mike Tomlin's resignation, the Steelers brought in quarterback guru Mike McCarthy to get the team back on track. McCarthy, a Pittsburgh native, is a former Super Bowl champion who beat Tomlin in Super Bowl XLV. McCarthy is known for his track record of coaching quarterbacks, including Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, and Dak Prescott. He was crucial to Rodgers' development, helped Favre stage a career resurgence, and aided Prescott to take that next step. Now he is tasked with helping the Steelers find their next franchise quarterback. 

McCarthy came out strong in his opening press conference, instantly winning over the fans with his tears and passion. He obviously was asked about the quarterback situation, and he left the door open for Rodgers. He also made it a point to endorse sixth-round pick Will Howard, who has yet to take a snap at the professional level in-game. McCarthy has praised Howard on multiple occasions, leaving Steeler Nation wondering if he has a chance to be the starter in 2026, barring a Rodgers return. 

McCarthy has praised Howard so much that it may be too much. Insider Mark Kaboly recently appeared on 93.7 The Fan where he compared the previous coaching staff to the current one. He claimed that the Tomlin regime would have never praised Howard to this magnitude. 

"That's a big difference to me from this staff and the last staff. Mike Tomlin would have never come out in March and February and tell you about a guy who has zero snaps under his belt and how excited they are about him," Kaboly said. "They're putting a lot of pressure on this guy right now." 

There has been speculation that the Howard buzz is simply part of the ruse and that they may be making a bigger play for a quarterback, perhaps Ty Simpson. Howard though, in year two, is likely better than Simpson or any other quarterback in this class not named Fernando Mendoza. Howard is a former National Champion, winning the title with the Ohio State Buckeyes, having a tremendous postseason. His performance wasn't enough to convince NFL teams he's legit however, which led him to fall in the 2025 NFL Draft.

McCarthy's praise for Howard is mainly based on college and practice film. Howard was injured in training camp and missed the entire preseason with a hand injury. The franchise has literally not seen him play in their colors outside of practice. This doesn't mean that Howard is incapable of becoming a quality starter one day, but this puts entirely too much pressure on a sixth-round pick. Even if Rodgers doesn't come back in 2026, pundits say that Howard should remain on the bench and continue to learn, and let McCarthy work his magic. 

Steelers' McCarthy Has Done This Plenty

When it comes to McCarthy's quarterback track record, the big names always pop up: Rodgers, Favre, and Prescott. Those aren't the only ones McCarthy has helped groom into decent players. Cooper Rush, in his time with the Dallas Cowboys, was an exceptional backup to Prescott. Rush with the Cowboys had a record of 9-5 and threw 20 touchdowns to 10 interceptions. He inked a two-year, $6,200,000 deal with the Baltimore Ravens, but he did not have the same luck there. 

Another example is Matt Flynn, who filled in for an injured Rodgers and played exceptionally. Flynn earned himself a three-year deal worth $26,000,000 with the Seattle Seahawks. Flynn is remembered for his legacy game against the Detroit Lions, where he threw for 480 yards, six touchdowns, and one interception. Flynn never amounted to much after leaving McCarthy's grasp, but he earned himself a nice payday. 

McCarthy may need to pull back when it comes to Howard. The entire organization needs to at least see some preseason film before they start making judgments. If Rodgers decides not to come back, they must make it a serious competition for Howard; he cannot be given the starting spot. 

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