The next man up mantra is uttered throughout every NFL locker room for a reason, and the Pittsburgh Steelers are experiencing that with the recent injury to Aaron Rodgers’ left wrist. Mason Rudolph stepped in to finish up Sunday’s game, but that means Will Howard is now just one snap away from taking snaps in his rookie season.
“They will get him prepared this week more so than he has pending Aaron Rodgers’ injury,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac said of Howard via 102.5 WDVE’s Morning Show with Randy Baumann. “I don’t think Aaron Rodgers is gonna play this week. But they will get him ready as the No. 2 quarterback, unlike the last two weeks where he’s run the scout team. So that is one byproduct. But they will get him more prepared at least to be the guy who could go in if something happens to Mason.”
While Rudolph has plenty of support in Pittsburgh, Howard getting more chances is music to the fan base’s ears. He was robbed of his opportunity to shine in the preseason due to a hand injury. That slowed down the hype surrounding him, but recent comments by Jon Gruden about what a steal Howard was in the sixth round reignited the flame.
The first step in Pittsburgh is determining whether Rodgers will play next week or not. According to Ian Rapoport, there is believed to be a 50-50 chance that he plays despite a “tiny fracture” in his left wrist. If he ends up getting surgery and misses time, Howard will be just one snap away from entering the game.
It wouldn’t be the first time that Rudolph exited a game for the Steelers. He was (literally) knocked out of a game against the Baltimore Ravens with a concussion in 2019 when Earl Thomas hit him in the head. Even Rodgers’ injury on Sunday was a freak incident with a body landing on his wrist. Quarterbacks don’t have a great chance to defend themselves most of the time as they stand in the pocket. Injuries can absolutely happen.
We most likely won’t see Howard taking snaps in a game this season, but the chances significantly increased on Sunday. At the very least, he will get more meaningful reps in practice to help him progress as an NFL quarterback.
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