Mike Tomlin Suffers Major Blow With QB News as Aaron Rodgers Struggles at Camp

Mike Tomlin was determined to make it work by stacking the deck this offseason. With Aaron Rodgers under center, D.K. Metcalf and Jonnu Smith joining the arsenal, and rookie Caleb Johnson adding juice, expectations soared. But Rodgers is 41. Injuries (hamstring, knee, and ankle) had once derailed his momentum. So Tomlin turned to Will Howard as the safety net. And now, just as the plan was firming up, that lifeline has been ripped away. Lady Luck does not seem to be smiling upon Tomlin.

Disaster struck the Steelers when quarterback Will Howard suffered a broken bone in his hand. In a recent post on X, Nick Farabaugh confirmed the news, stating, “Will Howard suffers broken bone in hand, to miss entire preseason.” Howard had started the session by participating in seven-on-seven drills and a one-on-one wide receivers versus cornerbacks segment.

But then, fans were shocked to see that he left early and was later seen being carted off the field. As he was wheeled toward the training room, Howard offered a thumbs-up, but the damage had been done. Talk about nonchalant, right? But Tomlin must be sweating out bullets.

Head coach Mike Tomlin offered early speculation before confirmation came from Ian Rapoport. “I think it was a CQ exchange,” Tomlin said, “but I didn’t have direct eyes on it, so I’m speculating.” While quarterback Will Howard’s hand injury remains the most serious, other setbacks are creeping in. The Steelers seem to be catching all the injuries at one go. Tight end Jonnu Smith exited early due to knee soreness, though Tomlin called it “less significant.” Outside linebacker Alex Highsmith also missed practice with a groin injury that will sideline him for “a couple days at least.” But the most damning one to the offense is definitely of Howard’s.

Howard had been off to a strong start in camp, delivering a touchdown pass to Brandon Johnson during Seven Shots, then connecting with JJ Galbreath during the first team period. His early rhythm and poise were promising. “I’m just trying to go out there and execute,” Howard had said earlier in the week. “I genuinely did not know [the cheers] were for me. I thought it was like Joey Porter did something on the sideline or Troy [Polamalu] or something. That’s cool.” But now, that excitement has quieted.

Injury or not, the offense is definitely faltering this offseason.

Aaron Rodgers falls short of expectations leading the Steelers’ offense

Training camp has not inspired confidence. The offense under Aaron Rodgers has failed to deliver a consistent rhythm. After all, Rodgers’ 4X NFL MVP Awards were supposed to be an indicator of experience. Observers reported that Rodgers has avoided turnovers aside from an early interception to Patrick Queen. But despite protecting the ball, the veteran quarterback has not translated that into tangible success on the field.

There have been timing issues, a lack of chemistry, and a concerning number of breakdowns in pass protection. Things are not looking up. Miscommunications between Rodgers and his receivers continue to be a theme. Tomlin might not have foreseen this issue for a QB with two decades of experience. The most glaring issue has been in the red zone. The unit has failed repeatedly to capitalize and finish drives, raising questions as the preseason approaches without a reliable backup option in place. The Jets-Rodgers saga is threatening to repeat itself if training camp predictions of analysts become true.

Colin Cowherd, speaking on The Herd, drew comparisons between two franchises with vastly different pasts. While the Steelers have long been seen as a model of consistency and success, the Jets have historically cycled through head coaches without producing results. Still, Cowherd argued that both teams are starting to mirror each other in troubling ways. “Number 1, they can’t run the football. Jets were 31st last year, couldn’t run the football. Number 2, their vertical passing game in Pittsburgh is not in sync, so Aaron is dumping stuff off for short, quick passes. That was the Jets last year,” he said.

Cowherd’s assessment holds weight, particularly on the ground game. While the Steelers logged the fourth-most rushing attempts in the NFL last season with 533 carries, volume did not equal efficiency. They averaged just 4.1 yards per carry, ranking fourth-best. The disconnect between commitment and output is central to the issue. Add in an underwhelming vertical passing attack, and the parallels to last year’s Jets become harder to ignore, even if their histories tell a different story. But Tomlin isn’t sounding the alarms as of yet.