Ever since appearing on former NFL head coach Jon Gruden’s QB School prior to the 2025 NFL Draft, the coach has not been shy letting people know how he feels about Steelers quarterback Will Howard. On the show, Gruden at one point compared Howard to Bills quarterback Josh Allen because of his size and running ability. Now, over a year later, Gruden compared Howard to a Super Bowl-winning quarterback.
Appearing on Cam Heyward’s “Not Just Football” podcast, the longtime NFL coach did not shy away from praising Steelers quarterback Will Howard.
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“The guy has the it factor,” Gruden said. “He’s got a very good charisma. He’s smart, and he’s a great communicator. He’s got some talent. He did it at Kansas State. He won the National Championship at Ohio State. He’s got that winning aura that I think a lot of people covet.”
Later in the podcast, Heyward asked Gruden about Brad Johnson, who won Super Bowl XXXVII, and what made him so special. Gruden then flipped the question around to compare Howard to the former Super Bowl champion.
“I compared Brad to Will Howard, honestly. Brad was the bull. We called him the Bull because he was tough as hell. He took a lot of shots. He was a great pocket passer, a great communicator, and he was loyal to the team. He didn’t say anything negative, nothing bothered him. He was mentally and physically tough.”
Johnson was drafted 227th overall in the 1992 NFL Draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Johnson went on to start 125 games across his 15-year career. His 2002 season with Gruden, where he throw for 3,049 yards, 22 touchdowns, and six interceptions to go along with a Super Bowl victory, was arguably his best season.
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Howard has yet to take a single snap in the NFL, but is already earning high praise from people around the league. Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy has spoken highly of Howard ever since being hired back in January.
The 2025 sixth-round pick will have an important few weeks in Latrobe coming up, as he figures to be in a battle with veteran Mason Rudolph for the backup quarterback role. If Howard turns out to be someone like Johnson, who can start games and, more importantly, win big ones, I think the Steelers and their fans would be very happy.
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