Steelers QB Will Howard has a believer in Raiders All-Pro Maxx Crosby

For the first time since 2007, the Pittsburgh Steelers have a new head coach. Mike Tomlin stepped down in January after 19 seasons at the helm. The team conducted a brief search before hiring Mike McCarthy as his replacement.

While McCarthy wants Aaron Rodgers to return to Pittsburgh in 2026, it’s unclear if the four-time MVP will sign up for a reunion with his former Green Bay Packers head coach. However, Maxx Crosby believes Rodgers should come back for one more season, as the Pro Bowl pass rusher suggested a QB succession plan for the Steelers.

“You let Rodgers get another year. And then you have Will Howard step in after that, sitting for two years and then let him go in and be the guy. Because, I know some people have their opinions on Will Howard and this and that. I’m a Will Howard believer. I’m not going to lie. I think he’s a hell of a player,” Crosby said on The Rush, per Steelers reporter Matthew Luciow.

Is Will Howard the future for the Steelers?

The Steelers selected Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Ohio State. Pittsburgh passed on Jaxson Dart with the 21st overall pick, taking Derrick Hamon instead. The New York Giants landed Dart with the 25th selection The Steelers repeatedly passed on Shedeur Sanders, who slid all the way to the fifth round.

Pittsburgh finally grabbed Howard with the 185th overall pick. He was the eighth quarterback taken in the draft. However, unlike pick No. 189, Riley Leonard, pick No. 231, Quinn Ewers, and undrafted rookie QBs Max Brosmer and Brady Cook, Howard did not see the field in 2025.

Howard broke his hand in training camp and he wasn’t activated from injured reserve until mid November. Howard rejoined the team when Rodgers fractured his left wrist. But Mason Rudolph backed up the veteran passer. And Rodgers managed to play through the injury, missing only one game.

Having the 42-year-old signal caller return for a final season before handing the starting job off to a young, in-house solution at quarterback probably sounds pretty good to McCarthy. On paper, Rodgers would provide stability for the Steelers during the coaching transition and then Howard would be ready to hit his stride with a revamped lineup in 2027.

Of course, any number of variables could turn that optimistic plan into a nightmare. And Steelers fans should probably be wary that a Raider made the suggestion.

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