The Will Howard hype train will have to slow down just a bit.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback reportedly fractured a small bone in his throwing hand after hurting it in practice. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Howard will undergo additional testing, but surgery likely won’t be required. The 23-year-old is expected to miss at least three weeks.
Howard’s projected recovery timeline minimizes the chance of him playing in the 2025 preseason. The Steelers’ final preseason game is on August 21 against the Carolina Panthers. While Howard was not getting any first-team reps, he was expected to receive “significant” playing time throughout the preseason.
Howard had been impressing at practice before the injury. He entered training camp as Pittsburgh’s fourth-string QB behind veteran Skylar Thompson. Howard had most recently been taking third-team reps and was listed as the team’s third-string QB in its first unofficial depth chart, behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
With Rodgers probably a short-term option and Rudolph being a career backup, there’s a world wherein Howard becomes the Steelers’ QB of the future — or at least its next bridge signal-caller until their next one arrives. The Ohio State alum will have to be content with soaking up wisdom from Aaron Rodgers in the meantime.
The Steelers drafted Howard in the sixth round after his stellar lone season in Columbus. Howard led the Buckeyes to a national championship. He led the Big Ten in passing yards (4,010) and passing touchdowns (35) while also maintaining a conference-best 73.1% completion rate among qualified QBs.
