Alright, so let’s set the scene. You’re in Indianapolis, home of the NFL Combine—a place where draft stocks rise and fall faster than the market on Wall Street. And in the middle of it all? ESPN’s Pat McAfee, going full fanboy mode over Ohio State’s Will Howard like he just found the next Tom Brady. The man was tweeting, hyping, and borderline campaigning for this guy. It started off as fun, then turned into a full-blown PR stunt. Then, reality hit Howard like a sudden tackle.

McAfee had people thinking Howard was HIM. A guy you put next to Aaron Rodgers, Sam Darnold, and Russell Wilson as a top free-agent QB. Hell, McAfee even said, “He’s a big s-n of a b—h. And when you talk about being big, whenever you talk about having moxie, when you talk about being likable, and whenever you talk about being able to put a ba-l on a dot, it’s like, is that not what we’re looking for in a quarterback?” Well… turns out, maybe not. Because when Will Howard stepped onto that combine field, whatever McAfee was selling? Nobody was buying anymore.

Howard’s combine performance wasn’t bad—it was low-key ugly per Chris Trapasso. The 23-year-old posted a 31.5” vertical jump and a 9’4” broad jump—both the lowest among QBs in this draft class. And let’s not even talk about his throwing session. Actually, scratch that—let’s absolutely talk about it because it was quite bad. Draft analyst Chris Trapasso went OFF on Howard’s accuracy, calling him “noticeably inaccurate at all levels of the field during the throwing session, missing high and behind his targets. IT WAS UGLY.” That’s not just criticism—that’s verbal homicide. Will Howard pretty much missed some open field easy throws and had a couple of overthrows in the Combine.

And the worst part? A $7.8 billion franchise had Howard on their radar. The Las Vegas Raiders—desperate for a quarterback—were reportedly intrigued after McAfee’s viral endorsement. But after seeing this disastrous performance? Yeah, that interest is probably sitting in the trash next to their 2023 season hopes.

Now, let’s be real. McAfee wasn’t exactly trying to sell Howard as a first-rounder. But the way he hyped this man up? It was borderline criminal. People started asking questions. Why is McAfee going so hard for this guy? X was buzzing: Is Pat McAfee on Will Howard’s payroll? Was he running some low-key marketing campaign? The accusations were flying, and McAfee wasn’t about to let people drag his name through the mud. “Will Howard is ready to come out here and make a big impression, I believe,” McAfee ranted on his show. “I have not talked to Will… I’ve not talked to Will’s people. I don’t know them that well. A lot of people are asking like, ‘Hey, Pat, does Will Howard got you guys on the payroll?’ No.”

Well, he might not be getting paid, but that didn’t stop him from handing Howard a golden ticket to the NFL spotlight. And now? The kid might’ve fumbled, according to Chris Trapasso.

Will Howard’s journey from Buckeye glory to draft-day mystery

Before this combine disaster, Howard was riding high. Will Howard transferred from Kansas State to Ohio State, led the Buckeyes to a 14-2 record, and straight-up torched defenses for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns on a 73% completion rate. Then came the National Championship, where he went full beast mode, won Offensive MVP, and flipped his draft stock from “mid-round afterthought” to “low-key legit prospect.” It was all going so well. And then? Boom. Combine weekend. Now, let’s be fair—one bad day doesn’t erase what he did at Ohio State. But in a league where first impressions matter? This was the worst possible look for him. But according to other draft analysts, Will Howard is having a pretty decent session.

Is Howard’s draft stock in limbo?

Before Ohio State’s run, scouts had him pegged as a fourth- or fifth-rounder. His playoff heroics pushed him up, but now? He’s back to square one. And the Raiders? Yeah, they were interested. Emphasis on where. Unless they strike out on Shedeur Sanders or Cam Ward, it’s looking really unlikely they take a flyer on Howard now. Howard, to his credit, is staying optimistic.

When asked about potentially reuniting with his former OC Chip Kelly, he kept it real: “It would be awesome, man. Seeing that move from Coach Kelly, I’m so happy for him. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve had, man, and one of my favorite people I’ve been around. We’ve stayed in contact. It would be amazing to get the opportunity to play for him again.”

Look, Will Howard ain’t done. But his combine was a certified train wreck, according to Chris Trapasso, and McAfee’s hype train low-key just derailed hard. Whether this was just a bad day at office or an exposé on Howard’s limitations, one thing’s for sure: he’s got a lot more proving to do before any $7.8 billion franchise hands him the keys to the kingdom. And as for McAfee? Maybe next time, pump the brakes before putting Will Howard next to Aaron Rodgers. Because right now, Howard’s looking a lot more like a day 2 than a franchise savior.