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The Pittsburgh Steelers’ approach to the quarterback position heading into the 2026 NFL Draft has very little to do with Will Howard. In fact, it may have nothing to do with him at all.
Howard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, brings an intriguing résumé. He capped his final college season at Ohio State with Offensive MVP honors in both the national championship and the Cotton Bowl. Still, he has yet to take a regular-season snap in the NFL, and that reality matters more than any projection.
McCarthy reinforced that approach while speaking at the NFL Annual League Meeting. “I’m hopeful there will be a quarterback there at the right time for us we can add to our roster,” he said on Monday, via Steelers Now. That mindset has little to do with Howard and everything to do with roster building.
The focus, instead, is on fit. “We know where we play and we know how we want to play,” McCarthy said, pointing to the realities of late-season football in Pittsburgh. Winning in cold, outdoor conditions shapes how the team evaluates the position.
That philosophy leans toward size and physical tools. McCarthy referenced quarterbacks he has succeeded with in the past -- Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers -- and emphasized that in big games, “your guy has gotta throw the ball better than the other guy.” It is less about trends and more about reliability when conditions are at their worst.
That thinking shows up in the prospects the Steelers have evaluated. Bigger quarterbacks with strong arms and measurable traits have been the focus throughout the pre-draft process.
Howard may fit parts of that mold, but that does not secure anything. As McCarthy put it, “It’s really how do you want to play? What do you look for in a quarterback?”
Right now, the Steelers are window shopping. And Howard is not changing that.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers QB plans: Mike McCarthy open to drafting QB in 2026
Continue reading...
Howard, a sixth-round pick in 2025, brings an intriguing résumé. He capped his final college season at Ohio State with Offensive MVP honors in both the national championship and the Cotton Bowl. Still, he has yet to take a regular-season snap in the NFL, and that reality matters more than any projection.
McCarthy reinforced that approach while speaking at the NFL Annual League Meeting. “I’m hopeful there will be a quarterback there at the right time for us we can add to our roster,” he said on Monday, via Steelers Now. That mindset has little to do with Howard and everything to do with roster building.
The focus, instead, is on fit. “We know where we play and we know how we want to play,” McCarthy said, pointing to the realities of late-season football in Pittsburgh. Winning in cold, outdoor conditions shapes how the team evaluates the position.
That philosophy leans toward size and physical tools. McCarthy referenced quarterbacks he has succeeded with in the past -- Brett Favre, Aaron Rodgers -- and emphasized that in big games, “your guy has gotta throw the ball better than the other guy.” It is less about trends and more about reliability when conditions are at their worst.
That thinking shows up in the prospects the Steelers have evaluated. Bigger quarterbacks with strong arms and measurable traits have been the focus throughout the pre-draft process.
Howard may fit parts of that mold, but that does not secure anything. As McCarthy put it, “It’s really how do you want to play? What do you look for in a quarterback?”
Right now, the Steelers are window shopping. And Howard is not changing that.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers QB plans: Mike McCarthy open to drafting QB in 2026
Continue reading...
