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Will Howard #18 of the Ohio State Buckeyes celebrates a touchdown run by Quinshon Judkins #1 against the Northwestern Wildcats during the first half at Wrigley Field on November 16, 2024 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Former Ohio State Buckeyes star quarterback Will Howard has completed his first year in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After being selected with the No. 185 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, he didn’t play a snap in his rookie season.

Howard had a legendary one-year run with the Buckeyes. He led the team to a National Championship win and placed his name into the history books at Ohio State.

During his lone season with the Buckeyes, Howard completed 73.1 percent of his pass attempts for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while also running for 226 yards and seven more touchdowns.

At this point in his NFL career, no one knows what to expect from Howard. Will he be a starting quarterback? Could he end up being a career backup?

Keeping that in mind, Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has offered his opinion on the matter.

Will Howard Viewed as a Future Starter Entering Second Season

McCarthy is clearly a big fan of what he has seen from Howard since becoming the team’s new head coach. He spoke out with glowing praise for the young quarterback.

“I think he’s definitely a real prospect as a starting quarterback,” McCarthy said. “I think there’s a lot of growth.”

Those are big words for the former Ohio State star. McCarthy has been an excellent offensive head coach throughout his career. He has done a lot of good work with quite a few different quarterbacks.

If McCarthy truly believes that Howard has starting potential, the future is bright.

The Former Ohio State Star Could Start in 2026

More than likely, Howard will begin the 2026 NFL season as a backup in Pittsburgh. However, there is a chance that the Steelers could turn to him as their starter.

Aaron Rodgers has yet to make a decision on his future. Many expect him to return to Pittsburgh for at least one more year, but that is far from a guarantee. He could simply choose to retire and walk away from football.

Should the future Hall of Fame quarterback retire, Howard would have a prime opportunity to earn the starting job for the Steelers.

Right now, the only competition he would face would be Mason Rudolph and Drew Allar. Both signal callers would be tough competition, but Howard clearly is liked by McCarthy. That would give him a fighting chance to win the job.

Expect to hear more about Rodgers in the near future. Until then, this update on Howard is great news and Ohio State fans will continue rooting him on at the professional level.