Pittsburgh is a metropolis constructed on a blue-collar work ethic. Clocking in early, working lengthy, exhausting days irrespective of the time of 12 months, and getting house after sundown. The Pittsburgh Steelers have at all times aimed to embody the work ethic and grit that outline the folks of Pittsburgh. It’s why the Steelers moved on from gifted gamers like Diontae Johnson and George Pickens; they lacked the best perspective and singularly targeted work ethic. Rookie quarterback Will Howard has it.
Steelers QB coach Tom Arth spoke to the media at minicamp this previous week, the place he recounted his first time witnessing Will Howard’s work ethic whereas at Ohio State.
“We went to the power and we obtained there at about 8:00 within the morning,” stated Arth through the Put up-Gazette Sports activities YouTube channel. “Will [Howard] was in there with Riley [Larkin] learning the playbook, watching movie and issues like that. We left most likely round 5:00 or 5:30, and we went again to the power to say goodbye to Riley. Will was nonetheless within the constructing, he was nonetheless learning, nonetheless watching tape…and proper there you knew like this man’s obtained the intangibles. He’s obtained the work ethic and soccer character that you might want to achieve success at this stage at quarterback…Along with that he’s only a actually nice man.”
For a month or so after the NFL draft, it appeared like Will Howard may even have a practical likelihood to earn some snaps within the 2025 season. As soon as Aaron Rodgers signed, that hypothesis was put to relaxation. However that hasn’t modified Howard’s willpower or the teaching workers’s perception in him.
Howard’s already enhancing shortly, his eagerness to study and unrelenting work ethic is paying off. Not solely is he studying from Aaron Rodgers, however he’s additionally serving to Rodgers acclimate to the Steelers offense though Howard’s been in Pittsburgh for simply over a month. The 2 may type an ideal, mutually-beneficial, to reference Star Wars — Jedi-Padawan-esque duo. And the hope inside the Steelers group is that with a 12 months of studying from Rodgers and witnessing his in-game and behind-the-scenes presence, Howard may compete to be the Steelers’ quarterback of the long run.
Each report from Pittsburgh on Will Howard has been constructive. He’s clearly doing all the best issues and is popular with everybody within the group and the media. However it’s an uphill climb for a sixth-round quarterback to turn out to be a franchise starter. Tom Brady is the quintessential late-round gem. But a more moderen late-round success story that the Steelers may level to can be San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy, who was taken with the ultimate decide of the 2022 draft, who only in the near past signed a five-year, $265 million contract after a outstanding first three seasons.
The Steelers should still deal with quarterback as early as the primary spherical of subsequent 12 months’s draft, however that doesn’t imply Will Howard received’t get his alternative. And along with his work ethic, willingness to study and examine, and basic likability, he’ll actually have a leg up on any newcomer in Pittsburgh subsequent 12 months.
