Pittsburgh Steelers rookie QB Will Howard has received exceptionally high praise from former Las Vegas Raiders HC Jon Gruden — who believes it’s just a matter of time until the young signal caller gets his starting opportunity.
Making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, Gruden complimented Howard’s size and athleticism before lauding the sixth-round quarterback as a steal for Pittsburgh — believing it’s only a matter of time until he’s handed the keys to the offense.
“I love Will Howard. I’m thankful that he is up. I’m shocked that he’s gonna be on the bench much longer,” Gruden said. “I just think he has everything that you’re looking for. We won a Super Bowl with Brad Johnson. He’s got that prototype size I like. He’s 6-4, he’s 225, 230. He’s built like a horse. I mean, he’s a big guy [who] can run the ball. You can run the quarterback power plays and all these quarterback draws that everybody likes to run.
“He’s a winner, man. This guy’s a winner. He won big at Kansas State, they won the Big 12. He won the national title. He was the wow factor,” Gruden said. “He’s got a photographic memory. He’s a great communicator. I’ll be shocked if he’s not one hell of an NFL quarterback, and I told a couple of my friends in Pittsburgh, I told Omar Khan, ‘I can’t believe you got him in the sixth round.'”
On Wednesday, Howard was activated off Injured Reserve after breaking his finger in training camp — infusing some youth into the Steelers quarterback room featuring Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
It’s easy to be skeptical about any sixth-rounder being projected as a future starting quarterback, but considering Howard’s proven resume as a winner at the highest collegiate level, coupled with his tutelage under arguably one of the greatest of all time in Aaron Rodgers, Howard may shatter the prototypical norm of where franchise signal callers are typically selected.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers’ Will Howard praised as by former Raiders HC Jon Gruden
