While Steelers fans are anxious to see what Will Howard can do, Pittsburgh veteran defensive tackle Cam Heyward would like to remind everyone that Pittsburgh still has a veteran quarterback with NFL experience on the roster that’s not named Aaron Rodgers.
There’s been considerable hype surrounding Howard since he was drafted by the Steelers in the sixth round of last year’s draft, hype that was elevated when Pittsburgh coach Mike McCarthy raved about Howard’s potential during his introductory press conference. And while Howard could very well become Rodgers’ heir apparent, Heyward doesn’t think that that is a foregone conclusion.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Mason Rudolph,” said Heyward, who spoke with CBS Sports via USAA. “I think both of those guys, they give us a leg up in different ways. Mason has earned his spot. Went to Tennessee (for the 2024 season), came back, and when Mason’s had to step up, he’s stepped up in those moments.
“With Will, I think there’s a lot of intrigue there because he didn’t play his rookie year. He didn’t get as many reps as he wanted to, but when he got those reps, he made the most of them, especially in practice. He was always trying to compete against the ones, and when you watch his pedigree of winning a national championship at Ohio State, you’re like, ‘Man, what can he do at the next level?’
“So, we’ll see. I know we’ll have a little bit of battle there. You never know who’s going to be the third quarterback to round out that group.”
As Heyward alluded to, Howard has never taken live reps in an NFL game after he sustained an injury during the early portion of training camp last summer that prevented him from playing in the preseason. Rudolph, however, has played in countless preseason games and 34 regular-season games over his career, which spans back to the 2018 season. Rudolph has made 19 starts in the regular season and in 2023 became Pittsburgh’s first quarterback to start in a postseason game in the post Ben Roethlisberger era.
Rudolph has had his moments, like in 2023, when he came off the bench to lead the Steelers to three consecutive wins to clinch a playoff berth. But for all of his success, Rudolph has never gotten a legitimate shot to be a starting NFL quarterback, which has led some to assume that he may have already reached his ceiling.
Conversely, Howard’s potential as an NFL quarterback is unknown at this point, which explains why Steelers fans are eager to follow his progress over the next several months.
One question that remains unanswered is whether Howard and Rudolph will compete to Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback or Rodgers’ backup, as Rodgers has yet to publicly confirm his plans for this season. But regardless of what Rodgers does, Steelers will add another quarterback to the roster and will likely do so with one of their 12 draft picks.
As far as Heyward is concerned, he continues to be highly motivated as he continues to prepare for what will be his 16th NFL season. The 31st overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Heyward is the longest-tenured Steeler by four years (kicker Chris Boswell, who came to Pittsburgh in 2015, is the team’s second longest-tenured player). He is a seven-time Pro Bowler, four-time All-Pro and is second to only teammate T.J. Watt on the Steelers’ all-time career sack list.
Heyward has also been recognized over his career for his considerable work in the Pittsburgh community. In 2023, Heyward was named the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year.
Despite all of his individual success, Heyward still has more that he wants to accomplish.
“I want to continue to keep reaching goals,” he said. “I want to continue to just keep working on my legacy. … Obviously, I want to win a Super Bowl in Pittsburgh. And I want to continue to just keep growing. I feel like there’s a lot more for me to do in this league. … Hopefully when I do call it a career, I can be proud of everything I’ve done.”
This year, the NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh, just outside Acrisure Stadium, where the Steelers have played their home games since 2001. Prior to the first round of the draft, Heyward, will take part in Salute to Service Event that will include 100 local military members from all branches of service that are stationed near Pittsburgh.
“We want to celebrate them,” Heyward said. “We want to have a moment where we can shed a light on them and have some fun.”
