The 2025 NFL Draft's third day turned into a quarterback waiting game, and Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller Will Howard believes he knows exactly why—Shedeur Sanders' unexpected slide through the draft board.

Howard, who ultimately landed with the Steelers in the sixth round, opened up about his draft-day experience on The Christian Kuntz Podcast. He revealed that what should have been a potential Day 2 selection turned into a nerve-wracking wait, all because of the ripple effect caused by Sanders' dramatic fall.

"I thought there was a chance that I was going to go Friday," Howard explained. "I was hearing that. I remember talking with some of the guys at the Steelers, and it was really that whole Shedeur situation, kinda. Him sliding really hurt a lot of the other quarterbacks in our class."

Howard pointed to a group of fellow quarterbacks—including Riley Leonard, Kyle McCord, and Quinn Ewers—who all found themselves waiting deep into Day 3. "Just because he was ranked a little higher, so nobody wanted to take guys like me, or Riley Leonard, or Kyle McCord, Quinn Ewers. All of us — you think Riley, me, Kyle, Quinn — were six-six, six-seven. We were all like late-late picks."

Sanders, once projected as a potential top-five selection, slipped all the way to the Cleveland Browns at pick No. 144 in the fifth round—a stunning tumble that sent shockwaves through the quarterback market.

While Howard's theory about teams freezing on quarterbacks during Sanders' slide holds water, the situation played out beautifully for the Steelers. Pittsburgh snagged a potential heir to Aaron Rodgers with a late Day 3 pick—a bargain that could pay massive dividends in the seasons ahead. Sometimes, the draft's biggest surprises lead to the smartest steals.