Former NFL offensive lineman Jeremiah Sirles did not hold back on Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard . While many are bullish on Howard's potential, Sirles thinks the former Ohio State quarterback is flat-out terrible.
"I think Will Howard is terrible. He wasn't very good in college," Sirles recently said on his OLine Committee podcast . "I'll never forget when he slid early against Oregon and lost the football game. There's a lot of people like, 'He's a dude.' No, he's really not that good. … Start Drew Allar , see what happens."
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy seemed to give a strong early endorsement for Howard in a recent interview.
"We've talked about quarterbacks for 20 years, and it's all about adding the right people to the room," McCarthy said on Mad Dog Sport Radio . "Will Howard is someone I'm extremely excited about. I think our short time together, there's a lot there to work with, and I think he's going to be definitely a starter in this league."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard during a practice on Dec. 17, 2025. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Steelers are high on Howard, but that doesn't mean they don't view Allar as part of their long-term plans, though.
"It's a really good room for Drew to come into," McCarthy said. "He needs to come in, he's a rookie, and he needs to learn it. But there's a method to how we train the quarterback position, and I'm just trying to have the best competitive quarterback room that we possibly can have. I think we definitely accomplished that by drafting Drew."
During his media availability at the NFL Owners Meetings , McCarthy provided more insight on what he likes about the second-year quarterback out of Ohio State.
"People get caught up on what round he went in, but if I was drafting players that year, he wouldn't have been around in the fifth or sixth round," McCarthy said. "I valued him higher than that based off Kansas State. I just thought he just jumped out of the TV set during the College Playoffs (at Ohio State). I mean, what is there not to like about the guy? I think he's definitely a real prospect as a starting quarterback. I believed that when he came out."
McCarthy explained what Howard needs to work on the most to succeed at the pro level.
"The biggest thing with Will, and it's probably consistent with young quarterbacks, you got to win from the pocket," McCarthy said. "At the end of the day, nine or 10 games a year are going to come down to the two-minute drill. That's what the stats tell you. That's the way we train. So his ability to win from the pocket because I think he has everything else.
"You can talk about his throwing motion, some things throwing the ball. I think there's a lot of growth with his feet. Like a lot of these guys. The challenge I see in college football is so scheme heavy and they're running these quarterbacks and the schemes are diverse, there's not a lot of training in the footwork. So, throwing the ball, and you got the best guy that's probably ever done in it in Aaron Rodgers . I mean, you look at the way Aaron throws, just watch his feet. Watch the ground force explosion that comes up from his feet to his hips into his throwing motion. My point is, there's room for development there. I think there's a lot to work with Will."
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now : Former NFL Offensive Lineman Blasts Steelers Quarterback: 'I Think Will Howard Is Terrible'
Related Headlines
