The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t go in the new direction that a lot of fans wanted them to with their next head coach. But with Mike McCarthy, the Steelers are trying something new, and it might directly relate to sixth-round quarterback Will Howard.
At least that’s what NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero implied while following up with his report the Steelers hired McCarthy as their new head coach this weekend.
While speaking on NFL Network on Saturday, Pelissero explained the new Steelers head coach is fascinated about what Howard could be behind center in Pittsburgh.
“Will Howard, a late-round draft pick last year out of Ohio State that they are really high on in the building. My understanding is Mike McCarthy also is very intrigued by the upside on Will Howard,” said Pelissero.
The same could be said for a wide portion of the Steelers fan base over the past year. There was a lot of hype in the media about Howard’s potential after the Steelers picked him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Howard led the Big Ten with a 73% completion percentage, 4,010 passing yards and 35 touchdowns during his final season with the Buckeyes in 2024. With Howard as its starter, Ohio State went 14-2 and won the national championship.
In the College Football Playoffs, the Buckeyes signal-caller averaged 287.5 passing yards per game and threw eight touchdowns versus three interceptions.
Will Howard Upside in Steelers Next Offense
With the amount of hype Howard received during offseason workouts, one could have assumed he was a Steelers first-round choice. But he fell all the way to No. 185 overall, which is where Pittsburgh grabbed him.
Howard’s potential remains just hype after his first season. That’s because he didn’t play in the preseason or regular season as a rookie.
He missed the entire preseason because of a hand injury. Howard mostly served as the team’s No. 3 quarterback when he returned.
During the lone game Aaron Rodgers missed in November, the rookie quarterback was Mason Rudolph’s backup, but Howard didn’t play.
As Pelissero noted, Howard is on the Pittsburgh roster for next season and could be a Steelers option in 2026. Rudolph also has one year remaining on his deal.
Rodgers obviously has a previous relationship with the Steelers new head coach. Under McCarthy, Rodgers won two MVP awards and a Super Bowl.
So, it wouldn’t be surprising if the team convinced the 42-year-old to return for another year.
But multiple insiders, including Pelissero, reported the Steelers didn’t hire McCarthy to keep Rodgers from retiring. It could have more to do with how the team sees McCarthy helping Howard reach his potential.
Mike McCarthy’s History as a QB Developer
With their last three head coaching hires, the Steelers took big swings at young, first-time head coaches. Since they all worked, the expectation was the organization would do that again in 2026.
Instead, the Steelers broke tradition in multiple ways. Not only is McCarthy 62 years old, but he comes from an offensive background. The Steelers had only hired defensive-minded head coaches during the Super Bowl era.
NFL insider Ed Werder reported McCarthy’s pitch to the Steelers was his resume as a quarterback developer.
During his 31 previous NFL seasons, McCarthy worked with Rodgers, Joe Montana, Brett Favre, Alex Smith, and Dak Prescott. As a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator, McCarthy helped Montana and Favre find success at the end of their careers.
McCarthy then played a role in developing the other signal-callers — Rodgers, Smith and Prescott. Under his tutelage, Rodgers and Prescott reached the primes of their careers.
The best case scenario in Pittsburgh is McCarthy doing that again for the Steelers. The organization could find another quarterback in the draft, but they wouldn’t have to if Howard is the answer.
NFL Insider Stirs the Pot on Will Howard Potential With Mike McCarthy