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Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard will be sidelined for the foreseeable future after suffering a fractured finger on his throwing hand during training camp, head coach Mike Tomlin confirmed Wednesday.
Howard, a sixth-round pick out of Ohio State, fractured his pinky during a quarterback-center exchange at Saint Vincent College on Tuesday. The injury is not expected to require surgery, but Tomlin said Howard is considered “week-to-week,” leaving the rookie unavailable for the entire preseason.
“He’s dealing with a finger injury,” Tomlin told reporters. “It appears to be non-surgical at this time. We’ll continue to evaluate his options.”
Howard was seen at Wednesday’s practice with a splint on his pinky finger, a sign of the injury’s impact and the beginning of what is expected to be a month-long recovery. According to NFL Network, he’s likely to miss at least three weeks, which would rule him out for all three of the team’s preseason games, including Saturday’s opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
The timing is unfortunate for Howard, who had begun to generate buzz in camp. Originally slotted as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart behind Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Skylar Thompson, Howard had recently climbed up the rotation, earning consistent third-team reps and positioning himself for extended preseason snaps.
Now, his development will be paused just as he was gaining momentum.
“This will be a minor setback for him,” Rodgers said Wednesday. “It would’ve been great to see him get some live reps in the preseason… but either way, this is a year for him to grow and learn.”
The Steelers had drafted Howard with a long-term vision in mind. Rodgers, who signed with Pittsburgh this summer after a dramatic free agency journey, is firmly entrenched as the starter. Howard was expected to spend 2025 learning behind the scenes and building toward the future — a plan that, according to the coaching staff, hasn’t changed.
Howard’s college résumé supports that long-term potential. After transferring from Kansas State to Ohio State for his final season, he led the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff National Championship victory over Notre Dame. In that game, he was named offensive MVP with 288 total yards and two touchdowns.
His 2024 season with the Buckeyes was one for the record books — Howard set the school’s single-season completion percentage record at 73%, while throwing for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and just five interceptions. He also added seven rushing touchdowns and posted a 14-2 record as a starter.
With Howard out, more preseason snaps are expected to go to Rudolph and Thompson. Still, Tomlin emphasized the team’s commitment to Howard’s development.
“He’s a competitor,” Tomlin said. “We’re confident he’ll be back soon — and ready to keep growing into the quarterback we believe he can become.”
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