Jul 24, 2025; Latrobe, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) participates in drills during training camp at Saint Vincent College. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Insider Reveals Steelers Return Plan for Will Howard

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Jack Markowski | Last updated Sep 22, 2025 5:00 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard will be eligible to come off the reserve/injured list after Week 4, and it doesn't appear as though the team has any plans of stashing him there for the rest of the season.

While appearing on "Steelers Kickoff" ahead of the team's Week 3 game against the New England Patriots, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac outlined the current plan for Howard's return and insinuated that he'll be prioritized for a 53-man roster spot over Skylar Thompson when both players are officially off IR.

"Will Howard comes off the IR in one more game after this," Dulac said. "He will come off IR before Skylar Thompson, and so probably what that means is they will try to get him some work, not necessarily though with the first or second team, but just to be able to get Will Howard out there with the scout team and at least get him doing something.

"They're not gonna carry four quarterbacks on the roster, so at the point when Skylar Thompson comes off, they're gonna have to make a decision and I think it's the same decision they would've made at the end of training camp: they're not gonna cut Will Howard."

Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Howard has been out since fracturing a bone in his hand on a center exchange during training camp in early August, and there some thought that Pittsburgh could keep him on IR for the rest of the year so that Thompson could stick around on the 53-man roster and give the team three healthy veterans in their quarterback room.

Thompson, who was a preseason standout, sustained a hamstring injury ahead of Week 1 and landed on IR ahead of Week 2, meaning he can't be activated until Week 7 at the earliest because the Steelers have a Week 5 bye following their trip to Ireland to face the Minnesota Vikings.

Since Howard seems to be progressing and can return to the active roster in Week 6, which would allow Pittsburgh to carry three healthy signal callers for the first time this year, he now has a chance to fill a role for the team after it appeared Thompson had taken precedence following the preseason.

It remains to be seen when the Steelers open the 21-day practice windows for Howard and Thompson in the near future, but for now the former seems to have the leg up on the QB No. 3 job and could take some valuable reps on the South Side down the stretch as he continues to develop.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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