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Steelers rookie Will Howard won’t be making his on-field debut in the immediate future.
The former Ohio State quarterback suffered a fractured small bone in his throwing hand and is slated to miss at least three weeks, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported Tuesday.
Howard, 23, is expected to undergo additional testing, and “it’s likely no surgery is required,” according to Rapoport.
Howard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is currently listed as the third quarterback on the team’s depth chart.
He sits behind veteran backup Mason Rudolph and starter Aaron Rodgers, who agreed to a one-year, $13.65 million deal with the team in June.
Howard is one spot ahead of former Dolphins QB Skylar Thompson, who is fourth.
Tuesday’s development comes as the Steelers are preparing for their first preseason matchup Saturday against the Jaguars in Jacksonville.
He was poised “to play significant snaps” versus Jacksonville, according to ESPN.
The Steelers wrap the preseason in Carolina on Aug. 21 against the Panthers.
Howard was just three months removed from a national title win at Ohio State when the Steelers selected him 185th overall in April’s draft.
The Buckeyes defeated Notre Dame in the championship contest, 34-23.
The Steelers are entering the 2025 season with Rodgers, 41, at the helm after the former league MVP agreed to a one-season pact following a lengthy free agency.
He spent the last two seasons in New York after 18 years with the Packers.
The quarterback, who is also a newlywed, shared in June that he believes the upcoming season will likely be his last.
“I’m pretty sure this is it, you know, that’s why we just did a one-year deal. Steelers didn’t need to put any extra years on that or anything,” Rodgers said on “The Pat McAfee Show.”
The Steelers open the 2025 campaign against Rodgers’ former Jets team.
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