Will Howard's Leaked Message Moments Before Being Drafted by Steelers Gains Attention

Not many quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL draft class took the path that Will Howard did during his collegiate career.

Coming out of high school, Howard wasn’t heavily recruited by top programs. Instead, he committed to Kansas State as a three-star prospect, where he spent four seasons developing his game.

After initially considering a return for a fifth year, Kansas State made it clear that the future at quarterback belonged to rising star Avery Johnson. That led Howard to enter the transfer portal, ultimately landing at Ohio State—a move that proved pivotal for his football journey.

Howard played a crucial role in leading the Buckeyes on a College Football Playoff run, capped by a national championship victory. He sealed the title with a clutch third-and-long completion—one of the defining plays in Buckeye history.

Now, just over three months later, Howard was selected by the Pittsburgh Steelers with the No. 185 overall pick in the sixth round of the NFL draft. Emotions were running high—and in a moment of perfect timing, a video posted by the NFL captured Howard’s reaction just seconds before he officially became a Steeler.

"Please pick me, Pittsburgh. Please pick me, please!" Howard pleaded, just moments before the Steelers called his name in the draft.

Fans reacted to the viral video: 

"As if we couldn’t already love this guy enough," a fan said. 

"We got us a good one boys," another fan posted. 

"This is what it’s about…pure appreciation and emotion," someone else added. 

One more fan commented, "PLEASE KEEP POSTING CHILL WILL." 

Howard now joins a Steelers quarterback room that remains wide open. Speculation continues to swirl around the possibility of veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers eventually signing with Pittsburgh, but for now, nothing has occurred. 

As it stands, Howard could have a legitimate opportunity to compete for the starting job. If no major additions are made, he’ll be battling it out with Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson for the role.