Howard, who lives near Rogers, is in an interesting situation with the Steelers. They currently have veteran Mason Rudolph and rookie quarterbacks Howard and Skyler Thompson taking snaps.
If Aaron Rodgers ends up signing with the Steelers, it seems that Howard’s chance to start would vanish, and he’d likely spend his rookie year on the sidelines.
“I really don’t know what’s going to happen,” Howard mentioned during his first comments about Rodgers in an interview with Kay Adams from Fan Duel TV. “That’s what’s on my mind. But I want to be in the same room and learn from him. Again, I know who will be there and what might occur.” This reflects a smart attitude from Howard.
While Rodgers has impressive credentials—leading Ohio State to a national championship and making a splash in the playoffs—Howard seems eager to soak up the knowledge he can offer, much like Rodgers did under Brett Favre.
After sitting on the bench behind Rodgers for three years, he went on to have a successful two seasons with Jordan Love.
Regardless of whether Rodgers comes to Pittsburgh, Howard is already focused on what he can achieve as a potential future Hall of Famer.
Having been part of two Super Bowl victories in 18 seasons, Howard also experienced a loss in the Super Bowl to Rodgers, which helped forge a friendship.
“They need gritty players,” Howard commented on the fans in Pittsburgh. “Big Ben was that guy for me. He represented Pittsburgh—blue-collar, rough around the edges. I want to bring that same energy to the team. I think I did pretty well in Ohio.”
Interestingly, Howard lost a competition in 2021 to Thompson when they were at Kansas, but he’s made significant strides since then, including two years at Kansas before moving to Ohio.
