Will Howard May Not Make Steelers Roster

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers have tough decisions to make over the next week. With their 53-man roster set to be finalized, they're reviewing a number of positions, including quarterback.

Coming into the summer, quarterback wasn't a position the Steelers needed to think much about. Aaron Rodgers was the starter, Mason Rudolph was the backup and sixth-round rookie Will Howard was the third-string. But after Howard suffered a fracture in his hand, Skylar Thompson was given an opportunity to state his case - and he took full advantage.

Thompson had three successful preseason games, ending his run with a 11 of 13 performance for 152 yards and a touchdown. And a 53-yard completion to end the first half may have been the cherry on top of what was a dominante preseason for the veteran quarterback.

What Thompson did was make it impossible for the Steelers to cut him. Luckily, they have options with Howard. The rookie remains in a soft case on his throwing hand and has not done much since hurting his throwing hand.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson (17) throws the ball during the second quarter of an NFL preseason matchup at EverBank Stadium, Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025 in Jacksonville, Fla. [Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union] | Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With two weeks before Week 1, he may begin to ramp up his workload, but it likely won't stop the Steelers from shutting him down to start the season. Right now, the expectation is that Thompson will be added to the 53-man roster, while Howard will be placed on Injured Reserve to start the year.

The move gives the Steelers a minimum of four weeks to figure out a new plan. At that time, they can decide if Thompson is worth keeping around still, or if they're ready to have Howard on their active roster. It may also calm the hype around Thompson enough to be able to waive him and bring him back to the practice squad.

But if they deem Thompson too valuable to ditch, Howard could spend the entire season on IR. He'd still be in meeting and working on the practice field with trainers. He'd be able to learn from Rodgers and company without actually bein in a game, which he wouldn't have been anyways.

Don't expect Howard to have a place on the initial roster come Week 1. The Steelers have three veterans in Rodgers, Rudolph and Thompson that they should feel confident in. So, letting Howard ride out some time on IR seems like the logical move.

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