The return of Aaron Rodgers to the Pittsburgh Steelers is going to have a profound impact on Will Howard, at least according to their second-year quarterback.
Howard opened up about Rodgers’ influence on him and what being the future Hall of Famer’s teammate is like while speaking with Kay Adams on Monday.
Howard, the sixth-round pick of the Steelers in the 2025 NFL Draft, was in line to potentially start at quarterback if Rodgers decided to retire.
But Rodgers decided to come back for one more season, playing under his longtime Green Bay Packers coach and first-year Steelers coach Mike McCarthy.
Aaron Rodgers has had a Profound Influence on Will Howard
Howard has spent a lot time around high-level football players, both in college at Ohio State and Kansas State and in his year with the Steelers.
But Rodgers’ actions have had a profound impact on Howard, even in the year-plus they’ve been together.
“He’s able to be super serious and be locked in but also have a good time [and] making sure everyone around him is having a good time,” Howard said. “I’ve tried to learn from that and take that into my own leadership tool bag. Watching the way that he works, I’ve been able to pick up a lot of things he does well.”
Rodgers has a reputation for being curmudgeonly, but Howard hasn’t experienced that.
“All of my experiences with Aaron, he’s been so good to me and so good to everyone on the team,” Howard said. “He’s one of the best teammates I’ve been around.”
Even though Rodgers announced the 2026 NFL season would be his last, Howard feels blessed to learn from the Steelers’ superstar.
“I kind of looked at last year that I’m going to squeeze every bit of information and every little tip out of him,” Howard said. “Obviously [I] want him to end his career the way that he wants to, and I know he wants to go out on top.”
Will Howard: Hearing Mike McCarthy/Aaron Rodgers Stories are ‘Pretty Cool’
Howard was just 3 years old when Rodgers was drafted and was still in elementary school when Rodgers, McCarthy and the Packers defeated the Steelers 31-25 in Super Bowl XLV.
So Howard has been captivated at seeing the dynamic first hand and listening to the tales from a bygone era.
“Hearing some old stories of Aaron and Mike together is pretty cool,” Howard said. “Whether it’s going back and talking about the Super Bowl in 2010 or talking about the NFC Championship [Game] in this year or that year and both of their recalls, it’s pretty crazy the memories is unbelievable.”
Howard is the middle child of the Steelers quarterback room, with Rodgers and rookie Drew Allar, who is three years younger than the 2025 FBS national champion. But even with the varying ages, Howard enjoys being a part of the Pittsburgh quarterback room.
“We have just a really good group of guys, of human beings,” Howard said. “It’s a great dynamic. We have a good time, and we’re all just making each other better.”
But Rodgers has been good to Howard and treated him like an equal, even though Rodgers is old enough to be Howard’s father.
“I’m glad that he’s taken a liking to me, and I’ve taken a liking to him,” Howard said. “At the end of the day, I’m myself and he’s himself.
“He’s a big respect guy, so if you show him respect he’ll show you respect back.”
Steelers QB Will Howard Sends Strong Message on Aaron Rodgers’ Return