The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten a retroesque season from four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers in his first season with the franchise. Rodgers has thrown 14 touchdown passes through the first six games of the season and has the Steelers sitting at 4-2, good for first place in an AFC North division where the other three teams are each below .500.
The plan entering training camp was for Rodgers to help aid in the development of the quarterback of the future, rookie Will Howard. Unfortunately, Howard was sidelined in the middle of what had been a strong showing in training camp with a wrist injury and landed on injured reserve.
Howard is practicing this week, but one Steelers coach revealed that Howard took on a coaching role while he was sidelined and was even known as “Coach Will” in the building.
“We called him Coach Will. Now he’s back to being a player,” offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said, according to Steelers insider Brooke Pryor.
Arthur Smith says rookie QB Will Howard has been like another quality control coach around the building while he's been on IR. "We called him Coach Will. Now he's back to being a player."
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) October 23, 2025
“They gave me that name for a couple of weeks there, but now I’m back to player Will, which is pretty damn nice,” Howard said of the moniker.”
Fans reacted to the news on social media.
“He’s the future Brooke. All the haters need to open their eyes,” one fan wrote on Twitter.
“I would love to see a few real game reps for Howard if we ever get a late game lead (or beat down)!” another fan added.
“Big praise for a late round pick!” someone else added.
It’ll be interesting to see if Howard ends up being the long-term answer for the Steelers at the position.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.