Behind the Steel Curtain
After an encouraging start to camp, Steelers’ rookie quarterback Will Howard is facing an early setback in his NFL career. Howard left practice early on Tuesday after injuring his right hand during a team drill period.
It didn’t take long for the Steelers to find out Howard’s fate. Medical examinations revealed that Howard has broken a “small bone” in his throwing hand, but surgery is not expected to be necessary. That’s the good news. The bad news — especially for a late-round rookie like Howard — is his recovery timeline likely means he will miss the preseason.
That Howard suffered this injury just four days before the Steelers’ first preseason game is particularly devastating. While the 185th pick in the draft was unlikely to earn much playing time during the 2025 regular season, the preseason was going to be Howard’s best chance at making a case to be the Steelers’ quarterback of the future. His draft pedigree already put him at a disadvantage in that regard, but missing the majority of the summer and any chance at live game reps puts him behind the eight ball even further.
If he had been healthy to play this preseason, there was a chance — albeit a slim one — that Howard could have earned the coaching staff’s trust enough to leapfrog Mason Rudolph on the depth chart. Now, that seems like an impossibility. NFL coaches are slow to trust, and missing the majority of training camp and preseason all but guarantees a redshirt season for a rookie. Just ask Roman Wilson.
With Howard out for three weeks, watch for the Steelers to sign another quarterback. Pittsburgh typically carries four quarterbacks through the preseason, and with Aaron Rodgers expected to play minimal preseason snaps, the Steelers will need another quarterback to take reps along with Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Keep an eye out for Pittsburgh to bring in quarterbacks for workouts in the next few days.At this point in the preseason, the quarterback market is short on proven NFL talent. Names like Carson Wentz, C.J. Beathard or perhaps even UFL standouts like Luis Perez or Bryce Perkins could be among those considered.
