The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback depth took a serious hit on Tuesday after one of its four signal-callers went down with a serious injury.
With Aaron Rodgers taking the starter’s reps and Mason Rudolph firmly penciled in as the No. 2, Ohio State rookie Will Howard and fourth-year QB Skylar Thompson were set to battle it out for the No. 3 job.
However, that competition got a little more cut-and-dry on Tuesday after it NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport revealed Howard had suffered a fracture in his throwing hand, which will sideline him for at least three weeks, if not longer.
“#Steelers rookie QB Will Howard, who banged his throwing hand in practice, suffered a fractured small bone in his hand, sources say,” Rapoport wrote on X. “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.”
It’s not known when Howard’s injury occurred, but head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters he believes it happened on a routine play.
“I think [Howard’s injury] came on an exchange from center, but I didn’t have eyes on it. It was his right hand,” Tomlin said, via the team’s official website.
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Howard’s injury will keep him out until at least Aug. 27, meaning he would miss all three of Pittsburgh’s preseason games against the Jacksonville Jaguars (Aug. 9), Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Aug. 16), and Carolina Panthers (Aug. 21).
“Will Howard has been impressing at camp, but now out the rest of the preseason,” Rapoport added. “More reps for Mason Rudolph and added opportunity for Skylar Thompson.”
Howard’s injury couldn’t have come at a worse time.
The 23-year-old signal-caller, who threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season while leading Ohio State to its first national championship in a decade, has made a mark on many of the Steelers coaches during training camp so far, and he’s impressed his teammates with his work ethic and how he’s carried himself.
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“I’ve been impressed with Will,” Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith said, via Steelers Nation. “You saw it on film him and you get to know him as a person. He’s very mature from the neck up. He’s as good as any young guy in terms of recall, huddle command.”
The Steelers open the regular season on the road against the New York Jets on Sept. 7. If Howard’s recovery goes according to plan, he could dress for that game provided he experiences no other setbacks.
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