Super Bowl champ urges Steelers to turn 2025 NFL season into Will Howard audition if Aaron Rodgers move fails

After the 2025 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers still have a lot of questions regarding their quarterback situation. The franchise waited until the sixth round to add a new passer to the roster, poaching Will Howard from Ohio State, after he led them to a national championship.

The Steelers remain on the waiting for veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers. Nothing new has been announced: Rodgers remains a free agent and the list of available options for the team is narrow, with Mason Rudolph the only passer with starter experience.

While Rodgers' situation remains open, ESPN analyst Chris Canty has created an idea for Pittsburgh. If the Steelers fail to pursue Rodgers to sign, instead of giving the reigns to Mason Rudolph, they should give Will Howard a chance to prove he can lead the team:

“If Aaron Rodgers isn't gonna be on that team, it feels like it makes more sense to roll out there with Will Howard, and see what the kid can do," Canty said via SteelerNation.com." Let him start. And that way, you can have an informed plan about what's in your quarterback room before you make your quarterback plan for the 2026 offseason.

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"If you're gonna lose games with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, it makes more sense to lose games with Will Howard, because you get the information," he added.

Rudolph is back with the franchise after spending the past year with the Tennessee Titans. He was drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft but never established himself as Ben Roethlisberger's true successor.

Former Jets GM calls on Steelers to move on from Aaron Rodgers

During a recent appearance on ESPN's "First Take", Mike Tannenbaum asked Steelers' executives to let go of the idea of signing Aaron Rodgers, as he does not appear interested in playing again:

"Coach Parcells used to say that when a player is talking about being retired, they are. Aaron Rodgers is an all-time great, [but] it's over, guys… This is a guy that's disinterested in being an NFL quarterback, which is fine. He's earned that right. He's made hundreds of millions of dollars. It's over."

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In a recent appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show", the quarterback revealed that retirement is an option and he has not decided if he'll play in 2025.

About the author

Henrique Bulio is an NFL and College Football journalist at Sportskeeda and the Editor-in-Chief of Pro Football Brasil. He has a total 13 years of experience working in American Football, and playing quarterback at an amateur level in Brazil has given him a unique perspective of the game.

Henrique follows the Philadelphia Eagles closely due to Michael Vick's historic performance on MNF against the Washington Commanders in 2010. His all-time favorite player is Ed Reed; he believes that Reed is the greatest safety to ever play the game. Bill Belichick gets the nod as Henrique's favorite coach for coaching the Patriots to glory over two decades.

If Henrique were to be able to go back in time and watch one game, it would be Super Bowl XLIX, where the Patriots and the Seahawks played a complete, back-and-forth game that concluded with one of the biggest talking points in NFL history.

Technical deep dives are Henrique’s specialty, and he ensures never to use misleading words in his articles, since he himself consumes a lot of information off the web. He has had the privilege of interviewing Cairo Santos, Lamar Jackson, Jim Harbaugh, Sean McDermott, Bruce Arians, Matt LaFleur, among others.

Aside from football, Henrique likes to play poker and Counter-Strike.

Know More

Steelers Fans! Check out the latest Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule and dive into the Steelers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Veer Badani