The Pittsburgh Steelers have struggled to find a consistent quarterback since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger. The team addressed the position during the 2025 NFL Draft by selecting former Ohio State Buckeyes QB Will Howard 185th overall. Some only view Howard as a backup-caliber quarterback, but others view him as a steal that could be developed into a starter. Despite the Steelers needing a lead signal-caller and Howard being the only QB that Pittsburgh took in the draft, it's not clear if Howard will lead the team going forward. What may be of some inspiration to Steelers fans is that Roethlisberger drew comparisons between himself and Howard recently.
Jacob Kupferman / AP photo
Will Howard celebrates a strong run during the National Championship against Notre Dame.
On Tuesday, Howard appeared as a guest on Roethlisberger's podcast, Footbahlin With Ben Roethlisberger. During the conversation, Howard spoke about his early life in sports and how he came to realize his future may lie in pro football. Howard said that basketball was his favorite sport in middle school, but going into high school, Howard decided that he would achieve more in football. Roethlisberger compared his school sports career to Howard's.
"We have a lot of similarities," said Roethlisberger. "Shortstop in baseball, basketball was my first love all the way until now, I still love basketball more, I played point guard."
Roethlisberger says ultimately it was a coach who pushed him to focus more on football, with great results. While he was better at basketball in his youth, Roethlisberger felt that he had a higher ceiling in football and would be able to achieve more as a quarterback than as a point guard.
Roethlisberger's coach was, of course, correct. Howard and Roethlisberger's similarities in their younger years, namely mastering multiple sports, speak to both players' incredible athleticism.
Matt Freed / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger stands with his hands on his hips during an away game in Kansas City.
Another defining characteristic of both Roethlisberger and Howard is mental resilience. When speaking about the importance of team support, Howard recalled his experience accepting responsibility for Ohio State's major loss against the Oregon Ducks, which came from a mistake he made. Howard said he was proud of his ability to face adversity and that through his experience taking the blame, he became a better player.
"In that moment, it was tough, but I knew we had something special," said Howard. "We can't let it end this way. It almost put more of a chip on my shoulder that people were saying, 'Hey, this is the guy that screwed up the game,' and I'm putting it on myself, I ate it. I took it on the chin, and I like to do that. I wanted to take the credit for it. Even though I had a really good game, nobody cares because we didn't win. At the end of the day, that was hard, but it taught me so much."
Roethlisberger applauded Howard's ability to learn from his mistakes and reflected on his own hardships as a quarterback, mentioning that his first pass in a college game was intercepted.
"If it makes you feel any better, my first college pass was intercepted," said Roethlisberger. "And my first NFL one, too."
Sometimes, the mental aspect of football is just as tough as the physical. Howard's attitude may be one of the strongest parts of his game and it will serve him well when competing at the highest levels of football.
Steelers Still Have A Quarterback Dilemma To Sort Out
Despite Howard being the only quarterback the Steelers drafted in 2025, it's unclear where the rookie will fall on the depth chart heading into the season. Howard will have to compete with veteran Mason Rudolph for the starting spot in Pittsburgh. Given that Rudolph already has experience with the Steelers offense, he may have an edge in the competition.
Sebastian Foltz / Post-Gazette
Steelers' Mason Rudolph hypes up the crowd during a home game in Pittsburgh, PA.
Howard could take a backseat as a developmental prospect for the Steelers and simply be Rudolph's primary backup in the 2025 season. While it's unclear how high Howard's ceiling is, Roethlisberger has faith in him, which definitely counts for something.
Do you see similarities between Roethlisberger and Howard? Do you think Howard's mental resilience will be an asset in the NFL? Let us know in the comments.
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