“He doesn’t look so big and sweaty.” That line from Mark Kaboly might sound like a playful jab, but it’s quietly revealing. Will Howard, the 6th-round rookie QB, isn’t turning heads yet at Steelers camp, and Mike Tomlin seems perfectly fine with that. Howard entered Pittsburgh under the mentorship of legend Ben Roethlisberger. There’s no fast pass to the top of the depth chart in Pittsburgh. Howard’s barely cracking third-team reps. Why? Because Tomlin is setting the pace, slow, methodical, and calculated.

This isn’t about burying a rookie, it’s about building one. “There hasn’t been live hitting, so it’s hard to make a determination,” Kaboly said on the Kaboly & Mack Podcast. Translation: Tomlin’s not rushing to anoint or dismiss Howard. The reps have been limited: “two short practices and one was abbreviated.” And the offensive installs are basic for now.

Because the Steelers picked Howard late in the draft, there were questions about what his role on the team would be. Even before Aaron Rodgers signed, it was clear that Howard wouldn’t be the starter. However, during a recent 7-shots drill, Howard unexpectedly took reps with the third team, raising eyebrows and reigniting the depth chart debate. Was it a nod to his OTA performance? Or just a part of Mike Tomlin’s evaluation shuffle?

That also gives us the QB depth chart in Pittsburgh. He isn’t even QB2 in the franchise. “They’re doing a lot of underneath stuff early in camp,” the analyst added. That’s by design. It’s Tomlin’s way of filtering hype from substance. The real evaluation comes later, when pads pop, and decisions get real. But Howard isn’t discouraged.

In fact, he’s leaning in. Howard made a strong early impression, completing 13-of-15 passes in one training camp session and putting together a dominant OTA stat line of 31-of-38 with 11 touchdowns and no picks. Mike Tomlin, for his part, hasn’t rushed the narrative. He never indicated that Howard would leapfrog Rodgers. Those numbers don’t make him a contender just yet, but they do suggest the Steelers may have gotten more value than expected from a Day 3 pick.

For now, the fans are more concerned about their veteran Aaron Rodgers.

Mike Tomlin’s veteran starter fails his Pittsburgh test

Aaron Rodgers was supposed to calm the chaos. The future Hall of Famer, with the gold jacket aura and four MVPs, came to Pittsburgh as the guy who’d stabilize the franchise. His arrival promised clarity, maybe even greatness. But on his first snap of training camp? Picked off by Patrick Queen, no less. That’s not the storyline anyone drew up. The Steelers didn’t trade for a myth. Mike Tomlin traded for command, precision, and leadership. But Rodgers opened with hesitation and a mistake, and for a fanbase already skeptical, it lit a fuse.

Now, it’s just one rep. Training camp is the NFL’s version of spring rehearsal; mistakes are expected, scripted even. But context matters. When the veteran face of your offense starts with an interception, a penalty, and three unconvincing throws, it doesn’t exactly breed confidence. Pittsburgh didn’t need MVP Rodgers on Day 1, but they definitely didn’t want that. And while it’s easy to brush off a bad opening, the weight of Rodgers’ presence makes every rep louder, every misstep amplified.

Meanwhile, Mason Rudolph continues his annual magic trick, surviving. He calmly threw for 4-for-4 with the second team while A-Rod stumbled. No drama, no headlines. Just quiet, efficient football. That’s what Tomlin notices. That’s what lingers in the minds of coaches. And when a guy keeps doing everything right in the shadows, eventually, the spotlight shifts.

The uncomfortable truth? There’s a real chance Rudolph outplays Rodgers during stretches of camp. He knows this system. He knows the rhythm of the building, the way this fanbase breathes. So, he’s in strong contention for 2nd place. Rodgers, for all his brilliance, is starting over at 42. The media microscope doesn’t forgive that.

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Rodgers will get better; he always does. But day 1 was a reminder, the name doesn’t throw the ball. The arm does. And while one interception won’t define the season, it sure defined the vibe. He delivered a question.