The hype around Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard is unmatched right now. Despite being a late-round pick, there is a growing feeling among fans and even some media members that this guy could be the future of this offense.
To his credit, Howard has some positive traits and has done a solid job since being drafted. He is coming off an electric National Championship win, has good touch and accuracy (even if his arm strength is lackluster), and enough mobility to move around in the pocket.
When given camera time, he has also looked the part. While I am more skeptical than most of Howard as a starter (I do believe he was a great value in the sixth round), his ability to speak is a gift.
Simply put, he is having a Gardner Minshew-like start to his career.
Pittsburgh Steelers could have the next Gardner Minshew with Will Howard
The Jacksonville Jaguars took Minshew in the sixth round of the 2019 draft. Coming off a great season at Washington State, Minshew fell for similar reasons as Howard. Both are touch passers who lack arm strength. Teams seemed to win with them, not because of them. Besides their different frames (Howard is the better-built quarterback), their games share a lot of similarities.
Minshew became electric after he was drafted, though. Minshew-mania ran wild in Jacksonville, given his passion and drive as a player. This led him to start 12 games as a rookie and put up some solid stats.
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Unfortunately, his issues were more exposed after his rookie season, and the Jaguars moved forward with Trevor Lawrence as their guy. Since then, Minshew has become the prototype of a top backup. A guy that you can start, but you don’t want to be the guy for multiple years.
Is Howard the next Minshew? I don’t think it is impossible. He had similar traits in college and showed a similar moxie off the field. His floor is relatively high, but his ceiling is capped by his lack of elite traits.
While getting the next Minshew won’t yield the Steelers years of dominant quarterback play, it would provide them with a good backup to work with as they look for their next franchise option.
Though he continues to build up his stock, Howard should be put under a microscope in training camp. Ideally, he can rise to the occasion, make the roster, and maybe even be the top backup. I still don’t see the franchise’s future in him, but the next Minshew may not be out of the question.