Aaron Rodgers Hypes Will Howard, Says Steelers QB 'Has What It Takes' to Have Long NFL Career

Aaron Rodgers is expecting Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard to find success in the NFL after spending his first pro season receiving mentorship from Rodgers.

"Will in general, I think, has what it takes from a personality and moxie standpoint to have a long career in the league... I think he learned a lot this year, and he's got a bright future," Rodgers said on Wednesday's episode of The Pat McAfee Show.

Rodgers went on to talk about how he helped Howard take the next step from his national championship run with Ohio State in 2024 to learning how to operate at NFL speed in 2025.

"It all comes down to processing, for a young player... that's what I talked with him a lot about," Rodgers said. "Where do your eyes start with each play? Because you need to simplify things in order to process quickly."

Howard has previously credited Rodgers with helping him learn despite not seeing any game action during his rookie season.

"He's been so gracious with his time, his energy, towards me," Howard said about Rodgers in February (h/t Steelers.com's Tessa Varley). "Anytime I ask him a little question, just something little, he'll dive into a whole response about why he does this and what it's good for."

Howard missed out on the 2025 preseason after suffering a training camp hand injury that sidelined him until late October.

Rodgers said he saw improvements in processing and anticipation from Howard between camp and when the rookie returned to practice.

"I think from an intelligence standpoint, the processing, the pre-snap stuff, I think he's going to be great at that," Rodgers said. "He was my right-hand man with all the signals, this year. He was phenomenal at it. He sat next to me at every meeting.... He learned how I did, when I was a young player."

Rodgers continued, "I think it was anything but a wasted year. It's going to be a year that he's going to look back on at some point and be really thankful that he learned football in that way. I'm proud of his progression."

"He can throw, and he can move, and as he continues to refine his body and get more reps, I think he's going to realize his potential."

Howard was usually a third-string option when available last season, although he was promoted to backup behind Mason Rudolph when Rodgers was injured in Week 12.

How much of an opportunity Howard gets in his second NFL season will depend at least in part on Rodgers' decision in free agency.

Head coach Mike McCarthy and general manager Omar Khan have made it clear they are interested in bringing Rodgers back in 2026, although the veteran quarterback has yet to confirm whether he will be returning to the NFL for his age-43 campaign.

Even if Rodgers ultimately re-signs in Pittsburgh, Howard could still see some playing time in the near future if the Steelers call on him to make his NFL preseason debut this August.