Former Ohio State QB Will Howard hit with untimely setback early in NFL career and it could have a bigger impact than some think
A tough break for the former Buckeye but he will surely bounce back.
Will Howard’s decision to transfer to Ohio State paid off with a national championship and a significant boost to his NFL Draft stock.
The past year has been filled with success for Howard, but things have taken a turn, and he’s now facing his first bit of adversity as a pro.
News broke Tuesday evening that the Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback will be sidelined for a few weeks with a broken hand—a tough blow to his preseason playing opportunities.
Will Howard was fitting right in with the Steelers
If you surveyed the majority of Steelers fans, I would venture to wager that the one player they were most excited to watch in the preseason was rookie quarterback Will Howard. Unfortunately, that is no longer the case. On Tuesday, Howard was seen exiting the practice field in Latrobe on a cart, with what Mike Tomlin called a hand injury that occurred on a center-quarterback exchange.
Obviously, we would later find out it was much more serious as Howard has a broken bone in the hand, which will sideline him for the preseason. It’s a shame because Howard had steadily improved during the first two weeks of camp. He worked his way from the bottom of the barrel as the fourth teamer, to first team reps in 7on7.
He developed a rapport with fellow rookie Roc Taylor, and he was playing both efficiently, yet explosively, with some of the best throws in all of camp.
It’s a minor setback for Howard but it does derail the hype train a bit. The Steelers hope Howard gets nowhere near the field come September, so we will likely have to wait until this time next year to see him in live NFL action. — Rob Gregson, A to Z Pittsburgh
The injury is a potentially major setback for Howard
This preseason was expected to be Howard’s only real opportunity to see the field in 2025, barring an unexpected injury to the Steelers’ starter and backup. Pittsburgh pushed all their chips in by signing Aaron Rodgers and bringing back Mason Rudolph as his backup.
That left Howard in line for heavy preseason reps—valuable snaps that would have allowed the coaching staff to evaluate him against NFL competition. It was also his biggest chance to convince the Steelers not to spend an early pick on a quarterback in the next draft.
Though it was only exhibition play, the reps still mattered. Now, that opportunity is gone—for now. Howard will shift his focus to recovery and preparing to learn from the bench behind Rodgers this season. It’s an unfortunate setback for the former Ohio State standout and fan favorite.
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