Will Howard Loses Hope After Mike Tomlin & Steelers’ Tough Decision on QB, Says Insider

Will Howard’s NFL dream got off to the kind of start rookies pray for. The sixth-round pick was quite impressive in Steelers training camp. Fans in Pittsburgh were already whispering: maybe this kid could push Mason Rudolph for the QB2 job. But just as the hype was starting to catch fire, reality hit hard.

Steelers Nation’s hopeful chatter about a “future franchise QB” has now given way to a silence that felt heavy. A gut punch to his hopeful potential, as Howard fractured his hand in practice before the preseason even began. Now, doctors are setting his recovery timeline at about three weeks. That meant no real action until regular-season prep, if everything went perfectly. Instead of competing, he was sidelined.

So, Mike Tomlin and the front office made the tough call this week: placing Howard on injured reserve. For Howard, it’s a cruel twist. Steelers insider Mark Kaboly summed up the uncertainty quite bluntly. The decision sidelines him for at least another four weeks—stacked on top of the four he’s already missed. “Now, Howard has to be thinking about whether he will ever get a shot,” Kaboly said. That thought carries extra weight because Howard has been one of the more approachable rookies in the locker room. Always willing to answer questions.

Kaboly even noted that when he approached the rookie during practice last week, Howard politely declined for the first time, saying he had to “go run.” Maybe he really did. Or “maybe he didn’t want to be asked about being potentially (at the time) going on injured reserve,” like Kaboly noted. The frustration of his looming IR stint had already settled in.

The Steelers’ insider even added, “I don’t blame him for anything. It was the first time he’s said no to anybody, so there’s that.” Let’s be honest, Howard might spend the entire season shelved. And when he does return, he may have to fight for the final roster spot and head for a QB3 role behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.

Just two weeks ago, Howard admitted, “Every ounce of me wants to be out there playing, and I’m just kind of sitting here doing nothing. It kills me.” The desire is undeniable, yet the reality is that he has no chance of taking the field anytime soon. That’s where Mark Kaboly’s warning to the Steelers hits home. He reminded them of the Mason Rudolph saga in 2018, when Pittsburgh mishandled his development. They buried him as QB3, watching him lose the backup role, and then threw him into eight starts the next year after Ben Roethlisberger’s elbow gave out.

Howard’s case is different, rooted in injury, but the cautionary echo is loud. The sting comes from timing. Mike Tomlin had just said Howard was “moving in the right direction toward full participation soon.” Days later, the IR designation cut him out of the picture and opened the door for Skylar Thompson. Once QB4, Thompson has exploded into one of the preseason’s breakout stories, stacking MVP-like performances across three weeks. That rise only deepens Howard’s frustration, leaving him sidelined while another quarterback seizes momentum.

Howard’s first big test comes without even playing

The cruel part? Will Howard was building something. Every extra snap and every preseason rep felt like a foundation he could actually stand on. Then—snap. A broken pinky on his throwing hand, the kind of fluke you barely see coming. It shut the lights off on that momentum. “Like, it hurts me that I’m not out there, but I’m trying to stay as involved as I can be,” Howard admitted. He knows these reps matter, especially when you’re fighting to prove you are worth it.

Tomlin kept it blunt: “week-to-week.” Translation—Howard’s preseason is a ghost. Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson step into the spotlight while Howard gets handed the dreaded clipboard. But make no mistake, Howard’s not folding into the shadows. He’s still piling up mental reps like chips at a poker table. Aaron Rodgers, the vet who knows a setback when he sees one, put it simply: “This will be a minor setback for him… this is a year for him to grow and learn.” A detour. Still, how many detours can a rookie stomach take before the road feels too long?

Here’s the thing: Pittsburgh didn’t draft Howard for a quick sugar rush. They invested in him—4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns at Ohio State don’t vanish because of a busted finger. But every young quarterback faces setbacks at some point, the slow burn that tests patience more than arm strength. For Howard, the question isn’t whether he can heal and turn this into something better while the game rolls on without him.