Bryant McFadden Will Howard
Bryant McFadden Will Howard
This offseason, Mike McCarthy said that Will Howard would definitely be an NFL starting quarterback one day. However, Howard’s performance last week in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ preseason game against the New York Jets showed that he still has a lot of work to do.
Howard had a solid outing in Pittsburgh’s first preseason game, so McCarthy named him the starter against the Jets. He didn’t capitalize on that opportunity, though. Now, former Steeler CB Bryant McFadden is naming him as one of the biggest losers of Week 2 of the preseason.
“He got the start, 10-15, 74 yards, two costly interceptions,” McFadden said recently on CBS Sports HQ. “When you look at Drew Allar’s night, 11-23, 110 [yards]. He didn’t really blow you away with his numbers either, but he protected the football… Because of how well Drew Allar protected [the football], I think he’s gained some traction… Mason Rudolph, in my opinion, is going to make the team.
“You do not want to have two young quarterbacks with no experience behind your 40-plus-year-old starting quarterback in Aaron Rodgers… When you look at that third spot, who does it go to? I think potentially it could be Drew Allar because this coaching staff drafted Drew Allar. They did not draft Will Howard… It was important for Will Howard to take this steering wheel and not let it go and show this organization, ‘I deserve the right to make this team as well.’ I think he lost some traction.”
Howard’s performance wasn’t as awful as his stat line would suggest. He made some solid throws and led two decent drives in the first half. However, he failed to put any points on the board and threw two interceptions.
While Allar wasn’t too impressive either, he didn’t turn the ball over. Therefore, there’s less to dislike about his performance compared to Howard’s.
If the Steelers only keep three quarterbacks on their 53-man roster, the Jets game could loom large. It’s still unclear whether they will, though. McCarthy hasn’t ruled out keeping four quarterbacks, but that seems unlikely. It’s tough to justify keeping an extra quarterback over a player at another position who could potentially contribute on game days.
Therefore, the team could let one of Rudolph, Howard, or Allar go. It’s unlikely that Allar will be cut because the Steelers spent a third-round pick on him this year. It takes a lot for players taken that early to get cut before their rookie years even begin.
That could leave Rudolph and Howard to battle for the final spot. McCarthy has praised Rudolph plenty, even going as far as to sit the veteran last week. Perhaps he’s trying to trade the veteran quarterback, but McCarthy sounds comfortable with Rudolph as Pittsburgh’s backup.
While McCarthy has also praised Howard, the young quarterback is less proven than Rudolph. Howard was a sixth-round pick last year. Players selected that late tend to have little job security, especially if they have poor preseason showings.
The Steelers’ final preseason game will be huge for Howard. If he plays poorly again, that could make it easier for Pittsburgh to move on from him.