Steelers coach Mike McCarthy said if he were in the war room when Will Howard was drafted, “he wouldn’t have been around” in the sixth round.

31 March 2026

McCarthy has continually pumped Howard up since being named Steelers head coach. He did also note today that he’d carry five quarterbacks if he could. We expect Howard to be Pittsburgh’s No. 2 quarterback unless they add someone high in the draft. Considering how frail Aaron Rodgers is at this point, Howard probably has a reasonable chance to play football at some point in 2026 if he remains the No. 2 quarterback. That said, this isn’t a “make sure he’s rostered” in dynasty-caliber endorsement.