The Steelers aren’t hunting for a quarterback the usual way. They’re trying to build the kind of team that can keep winning while they figure out who the next long-term answer is under center. That approach has shaped everything since Ben Roethlisberger left, and it’s the same mindset they’re expected to carry once Aaron Rodgers retires.
That’s why the latest Will Howard comparison matters. If Pittsburgh can develop Howard into a starter while keeping the rest of the roster strong, the payoff could be a lot bigger than just finding a competent QB. It could give the Steelers a path to real contention.
Former NFL head coach Jon Gruden offered the most intriguing comparison while talking with Cam Heyward on his podcast Not Just Football. Gruden, now a Barstool analyst, said Howard reminds him of Brad Johnson, the quarterback who won Super Bowl XXXVII with Gruden in Tampa Bay.
"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 doubled down on the comparison later in the conversation.
"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 résumé fits the picture Gruden painted. He was a ninth-round pick in the 1992 NFL Draft, spent 15 years in the league, started 125 games and finished with a 72-53 record. He threw for 29,054 yards, 166 touchdowns and 122 interceptions.
His best stretch came 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.
Howard obviously isn’t being projected as a finished product. The comparisons around him have already gone in extremes, with some people tossing out names like Tom Brady or Brock Purdy before he’s even played a game, while others are quick to dismiss him because he was a sixth-round pick.
That’s where Johnson makes sense as a reference point. Howard doesn’t have the biggest arm, and in college he wasn’t always consistent with accuracy or decision-making.
But he is tough, and he’s shown a willingness to keep learning and adjusting. Those traits have already stood out during his time with the Steelers.
If Pittsburgh keeps building around him the way it intends to, Howard could have a real chance to work. The formula is familiar: a strong defense, enough support from the offensive line, and skill players who help take pressure off the quarterback. That’s the kind of setup the Steelers would love to have.
At that point, it comes down to Howard - or whoever ends up in that role - steering the team and keeping it in the mix. If Howard does wind up in the starting job next season and settles into something like a Brad Johnson role, Pittsburgh could be in position to win enough to matter.
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