Mike Tomlin’s Trust in Will Howard Slowly Fades Away as Steelers Make QB Move

Is something cooking in Mike Tomlin’s mind? Perhaps otherwise, scouting seven quarterbacks in two weeks isn’t something we see generally. Though of course, teams do scout players continuously, such efforts do hint that someone’s job might be in danger. In Pittsburgh, that someone appears to be Will Howard, still sitting on Injured Reserve. Since their starter is already an experiment, they need reinforcement now, as they are hours away from opening the season against the New York Jets. 

When the Steelers brought home Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 draft, all they needed was Aaron Rodgers to hop on board. Though his response came late in June, it was a ‘yes,’ which meant a chance for the rookie to develop behind him. But on August 5, Howard sustained a “freak accident,” landing on IR. “He’s had some positive reviews, meeting with the hand specialist,” said Tomlin about his injury update. The initial timeline was set for three weeks, but he couldn’t recover fast enough to get off the IR. As a result, the Steelers have an empty seat in the quarterback room, and from their recent activities, they seem desperate to fill it. 

The College football season began on August 23, and Pittsburgh sent scouts to evaluate five quarterbacks projected as first-round picks in the 2026 NFL Draft. This included prominent names like Cade Klubnik of Clemson, Garrett Nussmeier of LSU, LaNorris Sellers of North Carolina, Sam Leavitt of Arizona State, and Arch Manning of Texas (still unsure to declare). Looks like they weren’t done. So, in Week 2, the front office sends scouts to Happy Valley for Drew Allar of Penn State and Oklahoma for John Mateer of Oklahoma. 

This season may be sorted in the mind of Tomlin, but even he cannot deny that Rodgers isn’t a long-term solution. If they didn’t have a successor by the time the four-time NFL MVP retires, finding a good replacement can be a devil’s task. Howard could have been that successor, but apparently not in the team’s mind. In the Class of 2026, Allar is considered “a prototypical quarterback who fits what the Steelers prefer,” according to Bleacher Report. In his three years at Penn State, he has posted a 62.9% completion rate with 6,302 yards and 64 TDs. 

Then there is Mateer, holding a seat among the top five passers of the 2026 Class. He’s coming off a season with the leading passing yards and touchdowns across the nation. “John Mateer has arguably the best arm talent in the entire draft class,” read his projection by CBS Sports. With the scarcity of it in Pittsburgh, he can be just the player to command in 2026. 

With Howard’s return uncertain, Tomlin has avoided touching the subject of job security. Since Big Ben left, the team cannot afford to have another without a plan. Even though the rookie has started to throw again, it’s yet to be determined whether it’s worth it to take him off IR. 

Steelers’ Will Howard reveals freak finger injury

Since the beginning of August, we’ve been hearing that the 23-year-old had a “freak accident” that landed him on IR. But neither Howard nor Tomlin pulled back the curtain on what exactly happened. Awaiting his medical approval to join the team he wished to land, Howard got into details about his injury in an appearance on the “Downs 2 Business” podcast. It happened between taking snaps, which were going pretty promisingly, when he jammed his finger—something that shocked even his doctors. 

“The doctors were like, ‘We’ve never seen anything like this happen.’ Snapped it into my hand and jammed my pinky out, and it broke this bone right here,” he revealed. When his return timeline was set, it wasn’t clear just how serious his injury was. Because it wasn’t like he instantly stopped playing after sustaining the injury. He completed his drill and took a couple of more plays. As he returned after the break, he couldn’t even grab the football. 

“Something is messed up, I have to get this checked out,” were his thoughts before he ultimately went for an X-ray, and then it was found to be broken. In his absence, Skylar Thompson was included in the 53-man roster ‘cause the Steelers didn’t have many options. If they keep him on IR for long with Thompson as backup, there’s a chance his development may get compromised. While his return is definite for this season, the precise week remains to be determined.