Will Howard Meets with Steelers amid Aaron Rodgers Rumors Ahead of Ohio State Pro Day

While the Pittsburgh Steelers continue to wait for Aaron Rodgers to make a decision in free agency, they could be looking at long-term quarterback options outside of the first round in the 2025 NFL draft.

Per Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Will Howard was among the prospects Steelers general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin met with before the start of Ohio State's pro day on Wednesday.

The Steelers appear to be the last team standing for Rodgers at this point. Rather than continue to wait on the four-time NFL MVP, the New York Giants agreed to a one-year, $21 million contract with Russell Wilson on Tuesday.

Rodgers had an in-person meeting with Steelers officials at their facilities on March 21. He spent time with Khan, Tomlin and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.

NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday that Rodgers' decision could be coming "within the next few days."

Given Rodgers' age—he is 41 and will turn 42 on Dec. 2—the Steelers would be wise to think about some sort of succession plan at quarterback. Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson are currently the only quarterbacks they have under contract.

Howard, at one point, seemed like a rising player in the 2025 class. His stock took a hit at the scouting combine after a rough showing in which he was inaccurate throwing to all three levels of the field, though it wasn't necessarily as bad as it was initially made out to be.

Howard, 23, could be a perfect developmental quarterback for a team to take and let sit behind a veteran for one year. He showed off tremendous tools and accuracy in his lone season at Ohio State in 2024.

B/R's NFL scouting department has Howard ranked as the third-best quarterback and No. 54 overall prospect in the 2025 draft class.

One potential problem for the Steelers is Howard might not be available for them after the first round. They sent their second-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks in the DK Metcalf trade, so their only picks in the first two days of the draft right now are at No. 21 and 83 overall.