Steelers' Will Howard Has Plans for Injured Season

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a serious blow to their offensive corps when Will Howard was put on injured reserve ahead of the preseason for the 2025 NFL season. Despite his unliklihood to be the starter due to being a Day 3 selection, Howard was likely going to be a significant depth piece at the quarterback position.

Now, with the season approaching in a few short days, Howard has had time to reflect and focus on moving forward. In an appearance on the Down 2 Business podcast that is hosted by Caleb and Josh Downs, Howard spoke on how he is spending his time as an injured player.

"Everybody's told me don't just take it as a rest or some time off," Howard said. "You gotta attack this time. I met with Mike Tomlin] today and some of our coaches, our OC, and we kinda developed a plan for me on IR. What I'm going to do every single week to help with the game plan. What I'm going to do physically out on the field. Obviously, I can't practice but I still gotta work out and be in physical shape when I get back."

Aug 9, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) takes a selfie with a fan before the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

He then broke down the ways he sought to help out the current starting quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, despite Howard being a rookie and Rodgers having played for multiple decades in the league.

"We developed I think a really good plan," Howard said. "Gave me a bunch of projects to do throughout the week and make some cutups for Aaron. Every time we're on offense and Aaron's out there and our offense is running our plays, I'll be over there watching and making sure I get the mental reps, because I need to be able to come back and not really skip a beat."

Howard is unlikely to see significant time with the team this year, but he may be called upon if the injuries pile up in the quarterback room. Skylar Thompson's stellar preseason made it harder for Howard, but Howard has youth and time to develop into an NFL-level talent with the Steelers.

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