Will Howard Sees Perfect Fit with Steelers
PITTSBURGH — If Will Howard gets homesick, he just has to hop in his car and drive east. Of course, for the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback and Downingtown, Pa., native, the four-hour trek to make a family visit isn’t a stone’s throw. It’s one Howard is thrilled to be able to make if he wants, nonetheless.
“I’m excited as hell to be here,” Howard said Friday morning after his first Steelers rookie minicamp practice. “It’s my home state. I literally was home yesterday and drove up here, four hours. It’s no problem. So, my family can get here easy. I’m close to what I’m used to, home. And, like I said, I’m just blessed.”
NFL Films cameras caught Howard begging — pleading — for Mike Tomlin’s team to take him in the sixth round of last month’s 2025 NFL Draft. He leapt into his backyard pool after getting the phone call he’d hoped for. The Steelers’ coaching staff, including offensive coordinator Arthur Smith and quarterbacks coach Tom Arth, was part of the reason Howard had a preference.
“The culture, it just fits, I feel like, who I am as a person and who I am as a player,” Howard said. “It’s close to home. I’ve got a lot of connections to Pittsburgh. Coach (Tomlin), I wanted to play for him and Arthur (Smith) and Coach (Tom) Arth. I knew Coach Arth. He recruited me at Akron and one of his players from John Carroll coached me at Ohio State last year, so I’ve got a lot of connections with him. Everything kind of fell into place.
“As the draft went on, you never know where you’re gonna end up, but you keep a little spot in your heart for where you really wanna go. I had a little soft spot for Pittsburgh. I was hoping in my heart that they picked me. … I could not be in a better place.”
Will Howard helped guide Ohio State to a College Football Playoff national title last season. The 6-foot-4, 235-pound signal-caller has the tools to succeed. He stared down pressure well and set the Buckeyes’ single-season and career completion records.
Howard enters a Steelers quarterback room that includes Mason Rudolph and former Kansas State teammate Skylar Thompson. Howard isn’t getting head of himself with the opportunity he has.
“I’m just treating it like any other day, man,” Howard said. “I just wanna come in here, I wanna learn, I wanna get better — and that’s how I’m looking at this. Who knows what happens?”