Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard has definitely heard his fair share of criticism as the team brought in Aaron Rodgers last week.
But Steelers great Ben Roethlisberger will seemingly always have his back. The two-time champion once again defended the Howard on an episode of his podcast with former offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner.
"He cares, I mean he shed tears when he got drafted in the sixth round," Roethlisberger said. "He was genuinely crying and happy to come. I think he's gonna work."
Roethlisberger referenced Howard's bounce-back against Oregon en route to the Ohio State championship run.
"The reason I liked him is from when he lost the first game to Oregon," Roethlisberger said. "He lost the game, he knows he lost the game. But then he bounces back and blows them out in the Rose Bowl, and then wins the national championship. There's something to be said about that. He could've quit, he could've let his team down, a lot of things could have happened. He didn't."
Howard, a late-round selection in 2025, has been viewed as a tertiary option since arriving in Pittsburgh. There are continuous doubts around Howard's NFL potential, but Roethlisberger leverages his passion for the team, saying he would rather have a "guy with more heart and less talent than a guy with more talent and less heart."
And that's certainly something the former Kansas State quarterback can bring to the team.
