McCarthy stressed the importance of developing the entire quarterback room, noting that successful teams rely on backups who can emulate the starter to maintain rhythm, timing, and precision with the surrounding players. He cited his history with great starters like Dak Prescott, Aaron Rodgers, and Brett Favre as context for his approach.
Most notably, McCarthy named Will Howard by name, saying he’s excited to work with the 2025 sixth-rounder and that Howard showed development at Ohio State. He also referenced Mason Rudolph and acknowledged that it would be beneficial to have Aaron Rodgers back, but his emphasis remained on Howard and the room as a whole.
Howard was the only Steelers player to receive more than one unprompted mention during the press conference, underscoring the new coach’s focus on him early in his tenure.
General Manager Omar Khan also addressed Howard by name, explaining that conversations about developing the next Steelers quarterback were central to the hiring process. Khan credited McCarthy’s resume and added that the organization is excited about working with Will Howard.
Both McCarthy and Khan spoke about Howard despite no reporter prompting the topic, signaling a clear and early direction for Pittsburgh’s quarterback development plan under the new regime. The emphasis on Howard hints at how the Steelers may evaluate and cultivate their quarterback options in the near term.
