If someone compares a rookie to a Hall of Famer, it is in that young player's best interest to steer into the skid. That's especially true if that player was selected in the sixth round, like new Steelers quarterback Will Howard. The Ohio State product has received early Ben Roethlisberger comparisons due to his body type and background. That won't stop until Howard proves he's not that type of player, which could very well occur as early as this preseason. But for now, Howard wants all of us to buy into the hype.
On the Up and Adams show with Kay Adams, Howard was asked about the early comparisons to Big Ben, and if he feels added pressure because of them. Steelers fans will love his response, in part because it shows he at the very least has the makeup of an NFL quarterback and a leader in the locker room. No matter what Howard's role ends up being for the Steelers long term, that's valuable.
“They need a gritty guy. Big Ben he was that guy. He was Pittsburgh. He was the Steel city the Blue collar the gritty guy. And I want to be that too," Howard said.
Steelers fans should pump the brakes on Will Howard-Ben Roethlisberger comparisons
The Steelers do have some concerns about Howard, and they are valid. In fact, it explains why a College Football Playoff-winning quarterback fell to the sixth round to begin with. Steelers Now's Joe Fitzgerald summed it up best, specifically pointing to the number of shotgun dropbacks Howard grew accustomed to at Ohio State.
"For Howard, adapting to this style of offense means learning an entirely new rhythm. He will need to become comfortable with five- and seven-step drops, master play-action footwork, and read full-field progressions post-snap. Unlike the RPO-heavy scheme he operated in college, Smith’s offense requires the quarterback to manipulate defenders with his eyes and make throws into tighter NFL windows," Fitzgerald wrote.
Arthur Smith's offense doesn't look anything like that. In fact, Howard will have to get comfortable under center and in a system which thrives on running the football and play-action passing. The Steelers also don't have the caliber of weapons Howard had at Ohio State. Jeremiah Smith and Emeka Egbuka aren't walking through that door. DK Metcalf and Calvin Austin are solid, don't get me wrong, but Smith and Egbuka had a significant leg up on their Big Ten competition.
These are questions every rookie quarterback deals with, especially in such a weak QB class. Howard will either sink or swim. If he truly is the next Roethlisberger, he should thrive no matter what.