Steelers’ 6th Round Draft Pick Will Howard Begged ‘Please Pick Me, Pittsburgh’

The Pittsburgh Steelers had two rostered quarterbacks before the 2025 NFL Draft: Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson, both former backups. And instead of prioritizing the position, like many expected, the Steelers waited until Day 3 to draft their guy. Ohio State’s championship-winning quarterback, Will Howard, is headed to Pittsburgh.

Howard, who grew up near Philadelphia, hoped to be drafted by the Steelers as he waited for a call, at one point saying, “Please pick me, Pittsburgh. Please pick me, please!”

His family is “all Eagles fans, but now they’re going to be some damn Steelers fans,” Howard told Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin over the phone.

Howard’s enthusiasm and work ethic have immediately impressed Pittsburgh’s coaching staff. He reportedly reached out to Steelers quarterbacks coach Tom Arth for plays just a day after being drafted, eager to get a head start on, he hopes, becoming Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback.

“[Arth] wrote [Will] back and said, ‘Hey, we were going to give you the weekend off, but this is why we drafted you, because it’s the kind of worker you are,’” said Howard’s mother.

While the possibility of the Steelers landing Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins isn’t out the window, a quarterback room of Rudolph, Thompson and Howard could be wide open for the rookie to seize a larger role. And if Howard is who Pittsburgh hopes he is, the team may have finally found a long-term option at quarterback.

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Article by Katherine Manz