The Steelers are trying to do quarterback development in reverse, and that’s exactly why the latest Will Howard comparison lands with so much weight.
Pittsburgh isn’t chasing a young passer and then scrambling to build the rest later. The idea is to stay competitive now, keep the roster strong, and let the next starter grow into the job without being asked to drag the whole operation by himself.
If that plan works, the transition gets a lot smoother. And if Howard really fits the mold Jon Gruden sees, the Steelers might not just be searching for stability - they might be looking at a quarterback who can win big games.
Gruden, speaking with Cam Heyward on the podcast Not Just Football, drew the line to a former Super Bowl winner he knows well: Brad Johnson. Gruden coached Johnson in Tampa Bay, where the quarterback helped deliver Super Bowl XXXVII.
"I think you see, probably closer than anybody that the guy has the it factor," Gruden said. "He's got very good charisma, he's smart, he's a great communicator.
He's got some talent and I'm just hoping he gets a shot at some point with the Steelers. He's got that winning aura that I think a lot of people covet."
Gruden went even further in the comparison.
"I compared Brad [Johnson] to Will Howard, honestly," Gruden later added. "Brad was a bull.
We called him the bull because he was tough as hell. He took a lot of shots.
He was a great pocket passer, great communicator, and he was loyal to the team. He didn't say anything negative, nothing bothered him.
He was mentally and physically tough."
Johnson’s NFL resume gives that comparison some real substance. He was a ninth-round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft, lasted 15 years in the league, and started 125 games. His career record was 72-53, with 29,054 passing yards, 166 touchdowns and 122 interceptions.
He also had his best run in Tampa Bay, where he started 49 games, went 26-23 and earned his second Pro Bowl nod in 2002, the same season the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl.
That kind of middle-ground quarterback profile is where Howard’s name seems to fit best. He’s not being treated like a finished product, and he’s not the kind of prospect people can credibly crown before he’s taken a snap.
Some are already trying to stamp him as the next Tom Brady or Brock Purdy. Others are ready to dismiss him because he went in the sixth round.
Neither extreme really helps.
Howard’s game has its limits. He doesn’t bring the strongest arm, and in college he wasn’t always the most dependable when it came to accuracy or decision-making.
But toughness has never been in question, and neither has his willingness to learn and adjust. Those traits have shown up during his time with the Steelers.
That matters because Pittsburgh’s path only works if the roster does its part. The Steelers want a defense that can stand up to championship pressure, plus skill players and an offensive line that give the quarterback real support. That’s the same kind of structure Tampa Bay had around Johnson when it won the Super Bowl.
If the Steelers can keep building that way, then the quarterback doesn’t have to be everything. He just has to lead, stay steady and keep the team in the fight. That’s been the approach since Ben Roethlisberger left, and it’s the same one Pittsburgh should carry when Aaron Rodgers retires.
If Howard ends up in the starting role next season and grows into something close to a Brad Johnson type, the Steelers would have a real shot to win - and maybe enough to be in the contender conversation.
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