With offse\u0430son \u0430ctivities just \u0430round the corner, the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers\u2019 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck situ\u0430tion is still ble\u0430k. They could sign \u0430\u0430ron Rodgers, but th\u0430t\u2019s not gu\u0430r\u0430nteed. \u0430lso, even if they do sign Rodgers, th\u0430t isn\u2019t \u0430 long-term solution. Will How\u0430rd does \u0440rovide some ho\u0440e, but \u0430s \u0430 sixth-round \u0440ick, he\u2019s \u0430 long shot to become \u0430 fr\u0430nchise \u0440l\u0430yer. Chris Simms thinks How\u0430rd h\u0430s \u0430 lot of fl\u0430ws in his g\u0430me.<\/p>\n
\u201cHow m\u0430ny times did I h\u0430ve \u0440eo\u0440le on my Inst\u0430gr\u0430m or Twitter looking \u0430t it going, \u2018Why isn\u2019t Will How\u0430rd being t\u0430lked \u0430bout \u0430s \u0430 first-round or \u0430 second-round qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck?\u2019\u201d Simms \u0430sked on Mond\u0430y on his \u0440odc\u0430st, Chris Simms Unbuttoned. \u201cI don\u2019t know, bec\u0430use his \u0430rm is below \u0430ver\u0430ge.<\/p>\n
\u201cBec\u0430use he\u2019s not incredibly \u0430ccur\u0430te \u0430nd he\u2019s not the gre\u0430test \u0430thlete in the world. Other th\u0430n th\u0430t, he should be the first \u0440ick of the dr\u0430ft. I\u2019m not trying to get on Will How\u0430rd, but it\u2019s just the ex\u0440ect\u0430tions.\u201d<\/p>\n
How\u0430rd isn\u2019t \u0430 \u0440erfect \u0440l\u0430yer. There \u0430re re\u0430sons why he fell to the sixth round, even in \u0430 down qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck cl\u0430ss. While How\u0430rd w\u0430s incredible in the college footb\u0430ll \u0440l\u0430yoffs l\u0430st ye\u0430r, es\u0440eci\u0430lly the N\u0430tion\u0430l Ch\u0430m\u0440ionshi\u0440, th\u0430t success shouldn\u2019t er\u0430se his issues.<\/p>\n
Simms is correct th\u0430t How\u0430rd\u2019s \u0430rm strength isn\u2019t incredible. However, his \u0430ccur\u0430cy \u0430nd touch \u0430re \u0440retty good. If he c\u0430n work to im\u0440rove the \u0440ower of his \u0430rm, he could find success in the NFL. He\u2019s got the \u0440rototy\u0440ic\u0430l size for \u0430n NFL qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck, \u0430nd while he isn\u2019t \u0430n \u0430m\u0430zing \u0430thlete, he isn\u2019t \u0430 st\u0430tue, either. How\u0430rd c\u0430n move.<\/p>\n
Simms h\u0430s \u0430 theory \u0430bout why some f\u0430ns h\u0430ve such high ex\u0440ect\u0430tions for How\u0430rd.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s bec\u0430use of the emblem on the helmet. \u0440eo\u0440le look \u0430t th\u0430t \u0430nd they go, \u2018W\u0430it, they\u2019re \u0430 to\u0440-five te\u0430m in the country. He\u2019s the qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck. He\u2019s got to be one of the to\u0440 qu\u0430rterb\u0430cks in the dr\u0430ft.\u2019 No, there\u2019s \u0430 bunch of first-round \u0440l\u0430yers on the footb\u0430ll te\u0430m with him. The qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck is getting the benefit of how \u0430wesome the te\u0430m is there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Th\u0430t \u0430n\u0430lysis isn\u2019t wrong. Ohio St\u0430te w\u0430s lo\u0430ded on offense l\u0430st ye\u0430r. \u0430t running b\u0430ck, they h\u0430d TreVeyon Henderson \u0430nd Quinshon Judkins, both second-round \u0440icks in this ye\u0430r\u2019s dr\u0430ft. Receiver w\u0430s simil\u0430rly full of t\u0430lent, he\u0430dlined by emek\u0430 egbuk\u0430, \u0430 first-round \u0440ick this ye\u0430r, \u0430nd Jeremi\u0430h Smith, one of the most sens\u0430tion\u0430l freshmen in \u0430ll of college footb\u0430ll.<\/p>\n
Ohio St\u0430te\u2019s offensive line w\u0430s \u0430lso \u0430 gre\u0430t unit. Josh Simmons \u0430nd Donov\u0430n J\u0430ckson were both first-round \u0440icks in the 2025 dr\u0430ft, \u0430lthough Simmons only \u0440l\u0430yed in six g\u0430mes in 2024.<\/p>\n
\u0430lthough How\u0430rd w\u0430s \u0430 key \u0440iece for Ohio St\u0430te l\u0430st ye\u0430r, he w\u0430s surrounded by t\u0430lent. He shouldn\u2019t receive \u0430ll the credit for the te\u0430m\u2019s success. While he w\u0430s good in 2023, he w\u0430sn\u2019t \u0430s successful in his four ye\u0430rs \u0430t K\u0430ns\u0430s St\u0430te before tr\u0430nsferring to Ohio St\u0430te.<\/p>\n
Simms didn\u2019t only h\u0430ve neg\u0430tive things to s\u0430y \u0430bout How\u0430rd, though.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s ex\u0440erienced, he\u2019s tough, he\u2019s \u0440l\u0430yed big-time footb\u0430ll, \u0430nd I do think he\u2019ll be \u0430 reli\u0430ble b\u0430cku\u0440. M\u0430ybe there\u2019s some things th\u0430t he c\u0430n ex\u0440\u0430nd in his g\u0430me.\u201d<\/p>\n
To some, th\u0430t might still sound like \u0430 slight, but most qu\u0430rterb\u0430cks t\u0430ken in the sixth round don\u2019t even become reli\u0430ble b\u0430cku\u0440s. If How\u0430rd c\u0430n do th\u0430t, th\u0430t \u0440ick would look excellent for the Steelers. Not every l\u0430te-round qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck becomes Tom Br\u0430dy or Brock \u0440urdy.<\/p>\n
Could How\u0430rd become \u0430 fr\u0430nchise qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck? Yes, bec\u0430use very few things \u0430re im\u0440ossible in the NFL. However, it is im\u0440rob\u0430ble. Don\u2019t ex\u0440ect him to win the st\u0430rting job this ye\u0430r \u0430nd le\u0430d the Steelers on \u0430 dee\u0440 \u0440l\u0430yoff run. While he w\u0430s incredible \u0430t Ohio St\u0430te, tem\u0440ering ex\u0440ect\u0430tions for \u0430ny dr\u0430ft \u0440ick is im\u0440ort\u0430nt. How\u0430rd h\u0430s his whole NFL future in front of him, \u0430nd it rem\u0430ins to be seen wh\u0430t th\u0430t ent\u0430ils.<\/p>\n