Steelers Place QB Will Howard on Injured Reserve with Hand Injury
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been dealt a tough blow heading into the season, as rookie quarterback Will Howard has officially been placed on injured reserve with a hand injury. This move means that Howard will be sidelined for at least the early part of the year, taking away one of the Steelers’ young and promising options under center.
Howard, who joined Pittsburgh with plenty of intrigue after his college career, had been seen as a developmental quarterback with upside. He showed flashes during training camp and preseason practices, where his strong arm and composure in the pocket stood out. Unfortunately, his momentum has now been halted, at least temporarily, by this injury.
The timing could not be much worse for both Howard and the Steelers. Training camp and the preseason period are often crucial for young quarterbacks to adjust to the speed of the NFL, build chemistry with teammates, and make their case for more opportunities during the season. With Howard sidelined, those valuable reps will instead be handed to the other quarterbacks on the roster.
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For the Steelers, this decision creates a ripple effect. The team will now have to lean even more heavily on its veteran presence at the quarterback position. Howard was unlikely to start right away, but the coaching staff had been hopeful about his growth and how he could push the depth chart forward. His absence reduces flexibility and takes away a fresh set of legs and eyes for the offense.
The injury also highlights just how quickly circumstances can change in the NFL. A hand issue might sound minor on paper, but for quarterbacks, it directly impacts grip, throwing motion, and overall effectiveness. Placing him on injured reserve ensures that Howard will have time to fully recover without the pressure of rushing back, but it also means that fans won’t be seeing him in action anytime soon.
Pittsburgh has already made moves to stabilize its depth, signing additional players to fill out practice squad spots and shuffle positions where injuries have piled up. This kind of roster management is routine at this time of year, but the absence of a young quarterback like Howard is still significant.
It’s not just a story about one player being hurt—it’s about how a team adapts when a piece of its long-term plan is temporarily removed. For Howard, this is just the first obstacle in what could be a long NFL journey. Injuries are an unfortunate reality of the game, but many players have used setbacks like this as motivation to come back stronger.
So, while Will Howard’s first chapter with the Steelers has been paused, it certainly hasn’t been closed. His recovery will be watched closely, and once he’s back on the field, there will be plenty of eyes on how he picks up from where he left off. For now, though, Pittsburgh will have to march forward without him, adjusting its plans while keeping faith in the young quarterback’s potential.
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