Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Steelers rookie QB Will Howard finally returning after fluke injury

Originally posted on Steeler Nation | By Brogan Noey | Last updated Oct 22, 2025 3:08 PM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers experienced a couple of significant injuries during training camp and the preseason, including one to rookie quarterback Will Howard. The first-year signal-caller suffered an injury to his throwing hand in the thumb area while receiving a snap under center.

It was a fluke injury, and the doctors even told Howard that they had never seen a quarterback suffer that specific injury in that way. He has been considered healthy for quite some time now, but the organization kept him on injured reserve for the start of the season.

Howard was a sixth-round pick of the Steelers during the 2025 NFL Draft, and it was never expected that he would see the field during his rookie year because of where he fell on the depth chart. However, fans want to see him on the practice field so he can continue to develop as an NFL quarterback.

When a player is on IR, he cannot practice with the team, but that now changes for Howard as Pittsburgh opened up the rookie's 21-day window to return to the field.

The #Steelers opened the 21-day practice window for QB Will Howard to return from IR.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) October 22, 2025

Whenever Howard is activated, it will likely be as the emergency third quarterback on game days, which means he won't see meaningful playing time. This is what was expected for his rookie season.

Howard can continue to learn from Aaron Rodgers, but now it will happen on the field during practice, as well as in film and meeting rooms. This is good for the franchise's future, as Rodgers might retire after the 2025 season. If he does, Pittsburgh will enter the 2026 season with a different starting quarterback for the fourth straight year. Both Howard and Mason Rudolph are under contract next year, so either could be an option for Pittsburgh.

It would be nice to see Howard get an opportunity to play in Pittsburgh during the regular season. He has the stature and physical tools to become a successful starter in the NFL, and he should be given a legitimate chance to compete for the starting job in 2026 if Rodgers retires. The Steelers could also look to add another quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft, but Howard should be atop the depth chart by next season, depending on Rodgers' future.

Steelers did Will Howard a disservice by keeping him on IR

Howard was reportedly healthy at the end of training camp, or at least early on in the regular season. That said, the organization decided to keep him on IR through the first six games of the season and their bye week, which is valuable time that the quarterback could have spent on the practice field. Although he is running the scout team, Howard is still getting used to the speed of the NFL and throwing to NFL wide receivers.

It may have been a bad move to keep Howard on IR for as long as the team did, but at least the franchise is now prioritizing his development.

This article first appeared on SteelerNation.com and was syndicated with permission.

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