The Pittsburgh Steelers have been the obvious free agent choice for QB Aaron Rodgers for a while now.
But if they aren’t able to land the 41-year old future Hall of Famer, they could opt to go much younger.
Already on the roster is 23-year old rookie Will Howard. Odds would favor Mason Rudolph to beat Howard out for the starting job if Rodgers doesn’t come to town, but don’t count out Howard.
After a sterling college career at Kansas State, Howard transferred to Ohio State and promptly led the Buckeyes to the national championship.
Pro Football Focus writer Dalton Wasserman likes what he sees from Howard.
“Will Howard enters one of the more intriguing situations due to the uncertainty around Aaron Rodgers.” Wasserman wrote. “If Rodgers signs with Pittsburgh, Howard becomes a developmental third-stringer behind the future Hall of Famer and Mason Rudolph. If Rodgers chooses not to play, Howard likely slots in as the backup to Rudolph and could be one play away from game action. The positive? He’s no stranger to high-pressure spots after leading Ohio State to a national title and earning a career-high 85.7 passing grade last season.”
The best-case scenario for Howard is probably to sit behind Rodgers and Rudolph for a year or two after being taken in the sixth round.
He’s athletic and a solid passer, capable of eventually ascending into a starting role if necessary. But it never hurts to learn from veteran QBs first. Rodgers is proof of that.
But if Rodgers shocks the NFL world and doesn’t come to Pittsburgh, Howard has a real shot to make an impact sooner rather than later.
