With the Pittsburgh Steelers first preseason game against the Jacksonville Jaguars looming, fans were excited to see some of the new talent on the roster. Rookie quarterback Will Howard was primed to give everyone a potential look at the future, but now fans will have to wait a bit longer as Howard will be sidelined with an injury.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported that, " Steelers rookie QB Will Howard, who banged his throwing hand during practice, suffered a fractured small bone in his hand, sources say." This is a huge bummer for Howard, who has been very impressive in training camp. Rapoport also stated that no surgery will be required, though Howard will miss at least three weeks, which basically means the rest of the preseason. Steelers Nation is understandably upset — preseason was going to be a good chance to see if Howard looked comfortable leading the Steelers offense.
Howard's reps will go to Rudolph, Thompson
This means that most of the workload this preseason is going to QBs Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. Of course, Aaron Rodgers will get playing time too, but the team will likely be very cautious with the veteran. Rudolph and Thompson are fine as backups, but they don't bring the excitement or upside that Howard would have. Neither of them are the future franchise QB, and Howard might be. Without him, the QB room gets far less exciting for the next month.
But don't fear, Steelers Nation, there are still plenty of names who will play in the black and gold for the first time. Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay and DK Metcalf should all make their team debuts, although it would be more fun to watch them catching passes from Will Howard.
Rookie RB Kaleb Johnson and rookie LB Jack Sawyer should also see some time, so the rookie class will still be well represented. Both rookies have been impressive in training camp, looking much further along than the coaching staff expected. I know watching old man Rodgers and seeing Mason Rudolph again isn't what the fanbase hoped for this preseason, but there's still plenty of reason for intrigue.