Fresh off of leading Ohio State to a national championship, quarterback Will Howard was taken by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL draft. It took a few weeks, but he was eventually joined by a QB 18 years his senior on the Steelers depth chart: four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers.
Rodgers's history with young quarterbacks is a bit fraught. After having a touch-and-go relationship with Brett Favre as a young quarterback with the Green Bay Packers, Rodgers was put in an extremely similar situation when the Packers drafted Jordan Love in 2020. He and Love ultimately forged a tight bond, but the awkwardness with the franchise never truly dissipated before he was ultimately traded to the New York Jets in early 2023.
For Howard, however, Rodgers has been nothing but gracious since joining Pittsburgh just before its recent minicamp. Appearing on the Chipped Ham & Football podcast, Howard said that Rodgers sat with him on the first day of minicamp, and even picked Howard's brain, as the rookie had already been through rookie camp and OTAs with the team and therefore had a bit more hands-on experience with the playbook.
"I think it was pretty cool that he was willing to sit next to me and I remember even day one, he had a couple of things that we hadn't really gone over yet, Howard said. "A couple things he was asking me for clarification on and I'm like, 'Holy s--- man, Aaron Rodgers is asking me questions right now, and I'm answering them. What is going on?'
"If you had told 9-year-old Will Howard watching Aaron hold up a Super Bowl trophy that I'd be telling him what a play is in a couple of years, you'd be crazy."
Of course, the 41-year-old gunslinger has far more knowledge to impart on Howard as he enters the league, and Howard says Rodgers hasn't been reluctant to serve as a mentor
"He's been so awesome to me so far. I mean, obviously we only got to be together for about three days, but I got a really good feeling about him and about this whole QB room," Howard said. "I think we already meshed really well, hit it off. I think we got a good vibe, a good group. Aaron's just been so willing to help me. He's like, literally, 'As much or as little as you want me to help you, I'll be there.' He's already given me tips, little things here and there. Even in the meeting room, on the field, in my drops, different little things."
Howard acknowledges that he and Rodgers, a surefire Hall of Famer when he retires, are very different players, but he's excited to soak up as much as he can while the two play together.
"Obviously, I can't do the things that he can do mechanically, so I don't want to replicate that too much, because that's pretty unique," he said. "But for the most part, everything I can learn from that guy is invaluable. So I'm like, 'Dude, as much as you want to pour into me.'
"I'm just excited to watch him work and watch him go about his business and see and take notes on how he operates. He's a legend."
The situation with Howard is vastly different than the one Rodgers found himself in with Love and the Packers in '20, and it is unclear whether he'll be in Pittsburgh for more than one year. Still, it has to be pretty heartening for Mike Tomlin and the Steelers braintrust that Rodgers is willing to help their rookie QB along in his development while he's there.
More NFL on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Steelers Rookie Will Howard Raves About Aaron Rodgers's Mentorship After Minicamp.