Former GM Predicts Steelers’ Rookie Will Howard Will Start Over Rodgers!

Fresh off a national title at Ohio State, rookie sixth-round pick Will Howard is in a spot where he can sit behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph this season while developing within the Pittsburgh Steelers' offensive system.

There isn't much belief that Howard can vault himself up the depth chart and force Pittsburgh's hand by starting over a pair of veterans as a first-year player. That didn't stop former New York Jets general manager and current ESPN analyst Mike Tannenbaum, however, from fading public opinion and declaring that the 23-year-old will be the team's QB1 come December.

"Will Howard will be starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers by December 1," he said on 'Get Up'. "Will Howard led Ohio State to the national championship, 89 QBR, 35 touchdown passes. And if he was a little bit better in the offseason before the draft, he could have been a third or a fourth round pick."

Howard picked up plenty of experience throughout his collegiate career with the Buckeyes and at Kansas State, racking up 9,796 passing yards and 83 touchdowns over 50 games, which works in his favor in regards to potentially earning early playing time.

At the same time, though, it's unreasonable to expect much out of a Day 3 signal caller. Howard is certainly talented and has caught the attention of the Steelers' organization throughout his brief tenure with the team up to this point, but there's still a long way to go before he works his way onto the field during the regular season.

Tannenbaum expanded on the reasoning for his confidence in Howard, referencing Rodgers' age and the fact that there's plenty working in the former's favor at the moment.

"Aaron Rodgers is an all-time great, but he will be 42 in December," he said. "Last year, Pittsburgh gave up sacks at the 28th-highest rate, meaning they were not very good protecting the passer. So when you have a 42-year-old quarterback, no offseason program, an offensive line that should, in fairness, be better because Troy Fautanu is coming back, I think Will Howard has a meaningful chance to be the quarterback of the future."

Pittsburgh sure seems primed to select a quarterback in the first round of next year's NFL Draft, which will be held on the North Shore, but perhaps Howard can force it to rethink that decision with a strong rookie campaign.