Steelers Now
It looks as if Will Howard won’t see any action this preseason. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ rookie quarterback left practice early on Tuesday, riding toward the locker room on the front of a cart.
The Ohio State product’s hand injury will keep him from throwing for a little while.
“Steelers rookie QB Will Howard, who banged his throwing hand in practice, suffered a fractured small bone in his hand, sources say,” NFL insider Ian Rapoport wrote on Threads. “He’s having additional tests, but it’s likely no surgery is required. He’s expected to miss at least 3 weeks, but more info coming.”
Howard’s situation provides a chance for Skylar Thompson to get some more reps after slotting in for him during the remainder of Tuesday’s session. Howard had climbed above Thompson to take the No. 3 spot on the Steelers’ initial depth chart, released earlier in the morning.
Howard was preparing to see a good bit of action when the Steelers visit the Jacksonville Jaguars to open their preseason slate on Saturday.
“I think it was a (center-quarterback) exchange,” Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after practice. “But I didn’t have direct eyes on it, so I’m speculating.”
Howard passed for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the Buckeyes last season, helping them to a College Football Playoff national championship. Steelers fans have welcomed him with open arms, cheering as he took his snaps during practices.
“I’m just trying to go out there and execute,” Howard said of the fanfare. “I genuinely did not know (the cheers) were for me. I thought it was like Joey Porter did something on the sideline or Troy (Polamalu) or something. That’s cool.”
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers QB to Miss Out on Valuable Preseason Opportunities
