The idea of the Pittsburgh Steelers flipping Will Howard for a draft pick doesn’t have much traction right now.
That’s the gist of the latest read from Ray Fittipaldo, who poured some cold water on the notion that Howard would even bring back a seventh-rounder if the Steelers tried to move him. Asked whether that kind of return was realistic, Fittipaldo didn’t leave much room for debate.
“He’s never played in even a preseason and he’s a sixth-round pick,” Fittipaldo said. “Why would he?”
He also pushed back on the chatter that Howard is “trade bait” simply because Mike McCarthy didn’t draft him. Fittipaldo called that idea “overblown” and said he believes the new Steelers head coach is invested in Howard’s development after speaking highly of him since taking over in January.
A lot of the buzz around Howard comes from the situation around him more than anything else. Pittsburgh landed him in the sixth round in a 2025 quarterback class that was viewed as thin, and there was a belief he could have gone earlier on Day 3. For a player with his profile, that made him look like a solid value pick.
Howard also had a promising stretch last offseason, and he was reportedly building momentum in training camp before a hand injury on a center exchange changed everything. That injury sent him to the reserve/injured list until Week 11 and cut short his chance to show what he could do as a rookie.
Now he’s trying to make up for that lost time while learning a new offense.
Even with McCarthy in his corner, Howard’s long-term path is far from settled. The Steelers may still have designs on landing one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft, even if it takes a major move up the board. And this spring’s third-round pick, Drew Allar, adds another layer to the picture.
Allar is locked in as QB3 behind Rodgers, which leaves Howard battling Mason Rudolph for the backup job. Howard has the edge as the younger player with more upside, and he’s under contract through 2028, which only strengthens his case.
If there is any path to a trade, it would likely require Howard to stall out in camp while Pittsburgh decides it needs a steadier veteran option behind Rodgers in case the four-time MVP misses time during the season.
But that’s where the market problem comes in. If Howard struggles, the return probably won’t be there. If he shows promise, the Steelers likely won’t move him at all.
That leaves very little room for a deal to come together over the next month and a half.
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