Steelers QB plan includes a College Football Playoff hero no one saw coming

The Pittsburgh Steelers probably want to wipe the slate clean at quarterback this offseason. The Russell Wilson era didn't work out. Nor did the Kenny Pickett era before it. Some will call for Justin Fields' return, but how great can the Steelers honestly feel about that arrangement?

Omar Khan has struggled to land a viable offensive leader in the years since Ben Roethlisberger's retirement. Pittsburgh's options are admittedly slim. Absent a high first-round pick, the Steelers will either need to reach on a prospect like Jalen Milroe, or turn to a middling free agent pool in search of half-measure alternatives. Russ and Fields aren't exactly dynamos, but what else is there? Sam Darnold, maybe? Kirk Cousins? Aaron Rodgers? It ain't pretty.

The Steelers are, as always, looking to win as much as possible. Mike Tomlin sets an exceptionally high baseline, always finding a way to guide his team across the .500 line, even under dire circumstances. The last few years, however, have proven that Tomlin's regular season success is all futile without a franchise quarterback to elevate the offense once the playoffs roll around.

Pittsburgh's shortcomings, which led to a five-game losing streak to end the 2024 campaign, go far beyond the quarterback position. With a scrappy defense, however, the Steelers' primary focus needs to be juicing the offense — generating more explosive plays and finding ways to leverage the playmaking talent of George Pickens.

One part of their plan could involve an unexpected rookie.

Steelers linked to Ohio State champ Will Howard as QB plans begin to take shape

The Steelers won't be in position to select Cam Ward or Shedeur Sanders in what feels like a two-QB draft class, at least as far as guaranteed, starting caliber signal-callers are concerned. There has been a lot of smoke around the potential of Jalen Milroe with the 21st pick, but that feels a smidge overzealous.

Now, there's reason to believe the Steelers might wait until day two of the NFL Draft to gamble on a new quarterback. In a recent appearance on Steeler Nation Radio, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette mentioned Ohio State's Will Howard as a potential target in the middle rounds.

"I wouldn’t fall over if I saw a quarterback go in the third round, who they feel can be that guy behind Justin Fields, if you will," he said. "I will tell you that in the last three days, I heard Will Howard’s name as an intriguing guy both as a passer and a runner."

Howard's name has naturally picked up steam following the Buckeyes' national championship run. A fifth-year transfer from Kansas State, Howard made the most of his lone season in Columbus. He led the Big Ten in completion percentage (73.0), passing yards (4,010), and touchdowns (35), with an additional 226 yards and seven touchdowns via the run.

It's fair to be concerned about an older prospect with a history of too many interceptions. Howard can move in and out of the pocket and deliver some impressive, NFL-level throws, but he takes far too many risks — especially for a quarterback with his breadth of experience. The Steelers would need to be confident in Howard's ability to evolve further and clean up his fundamentals.

That said, as a third-round gamble to sit behind Justin Fields, it's hard to knock Howard. He has the accolades and stats to justify the investment. Fields, if not much else, proved that he could and can do the bare minimum to win football games last season. Whether he's the long-term answer or not is to be determined, but with Howard developing in his shadow, the Steelers wouldn't have the worst imaginable setup.