Will Howard may be the Steelers’ sixth-round draft pick, but he’s quickly capturing attention — both from superstar Aaron Rodgers and the fans watching Pittsburgh’s training camp.
Howard is coming off a national championship season at Ohio State but before that, he spent four years at Kansas State, where he left as the school’s all-time leader in touchdown passes.
Rodgers, often criticized for keeping young QBs at arm’s length during his time in Green Bay and New York, has had high praise for the fourth-stringer in training camp.
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers on former Wildcat Will Howard
— Ryan Gilbert (@RyanGilbert_) July 25, 2025
🎥: @steelers pic.twitter.com/qe0wuSziCt
“I just like his approach. He's a good kid, he cares about it, he works hard, he listens. He has all the ability and the talent, and when his time comes, he’s going to have a great chance to be a long-term guy in the league,” Rodgers said.
Howard, 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds, transferred to Ohio State ahead of the 2024 season and helped lead the Buckeyes to a title. Despite his success in Columbus, the Pennsylvania native has credited Kansas State for developing him as a quarterback.
He joins a Steelers QB room that features Skylar Thompson—another Kansas State product—and veteran Mason Rudolph.
With Rodgers expected to start, Howard is likely competing for a developmental role in Year 1, but team beat writers have noted that Howard has quickly emerged as a fan favorite at training camp, drawing the loudest cheers during drills and scrimmages.
At Kansas State, Howard started 27 games and showed a mix of toughness, mobility, and arm strength that gives him long-term upside. Now, he’ll look to earn his place in Pittsburgh.
Meanwhile, the program he left behind in Manhattan enters the 2025 season with momentum.
Quarterback Avery Johnson returns after a breakout year, leading an offense with key weapons Dylan Edwards, Joe Jackson, and Jayce Brown. On defense, Austin Romaine and V.J. Payne anchor a veteran unit.
Kansas State, coming off a 9–4 season and a 44–41 bowl win over Rutgers, has landed in the preseason rankings at No. 12 in USA Today, No. 16 in Joel Klatt’s poll, and No. 21 in ESPN’s Football Power Index—tops among Big 12 teams in each.
As Rodgers settles in and Howard makes an early impression, both the Steelers and Kansas State look poised for seasons full of promise and high expectations.