Ex-Ohio State star’s NFL preseason debut delayed by surprising injury

After leading Ohio State to its first national championship in over a decade, Will Howard came to Pittsburgh looking to build on that momentum. 

The sixth-round pick knew he’d be backing up Aaron Rodgers, but the preseason was going to be his opportunity to show what he could do. That opportunity is now on hold.

On Wednesday morning, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Howard broke a bone in his throwing hand. The injury happened during a standard quarterback-center exchange in Tuesday’s practice.

As of now, he’s expected to be out for the entire preseason.

"It's tough," Rodgers said. "Really tough for him, especially considering how well he's been doing in camp. I've seen him in minicamp, and he's been commanding the offense."

Rodgers also noted that Howard has handled the playbook well and brought energy to the quarterback room. “This year is all about growth for him,” Rodgers added. “This setback will be minor in the grand scheme of things.”

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Before the injury, Howard had been earning steady reps with the second and third units. He was active throughout camp and often stayed after practice to get in extra throws with receivers or go over things with coaches.

Now that he’s out, the Steelers will head into the preseason without their rookie quarterback taking any snaps in live game action. He’s still expected to be around—sitting in on meetings and staying sharp mentally while his hand heals.

His first on-field action will have to wait. For now, it’s all about getting healthy and staying plugged in as the season gets closer.