Steelers Now
Aaron Rodgers is 42 heading into his 22nd NFL season. The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has already let it be known that this upcoming go-round will be his last, but ESPN’s Mina Kimes doesn’t see the team’s fanbase being gracious enough to want to watch him see it through.
“My prediction is in December — maybe around Thanksgiving — we’re gonna hear this in the stands, ‘(Will) Howard! Howard! Howard! The Steelers, in November to December, go Eagles, Broncos, Texans and I think that’s when Rodgers — I don’t know if he even makes it (that far) — but I think that the fans are gonna be really unhappy with the offensive output in those games,” Kimes said Wednesday on “The Bill Barnwell Show.”
Houston (277.2 yards allowed per game) had the league’s top defense last season. Denver (278.2) was right behind. No matter how good Philadelphia’s resistance was, the Steelers haven’t historically done well on the road there.
Howard, who helped Ohio State to a College Football Playoff national title before the Steelers selected him in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, didn’t take an in-game snap last season. Still, the big-bodied signal-caller has become a fan favorite.
“This is based on me doing a live pod in Pittsburgh, and we surveyed the crowd and they were all begging for Will Howard,” Kimes said.
During his lone season with the Buckeyes, Howard threw for a Big Ten-high 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns, while also completing a conference-best 73.0% of his passes. He shrugs off the tag of when he was drafted.
“At the end of the day, I’m not Will Howard, sixth-round draft pick. I’m Will Howard, Pittsburgh Steeler,” Howard told Steelers Now in March. “That’s how I look at myself. And so I’m not viewing myself any differently. … Whether I was picked high, whether I was picked low, it doesn’t matter. I still have to produce.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Brace Yourself: ESPN Analyst Forecasts Turbulence At Certain Point in Steelers Season
