NFL insider Ian Rapoport has shared an update on Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard after he left practice on Tuesday with an injury to his throwing hand.
According to Rapoport, Howard suffered a fractured small bone in his hand. He added that it is likely that surgery will not be required.
Will Howard is expected to miss at least three weeks, according to Rapoport, with additional tests coming to determine just how bad the injury is.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after practice on Tuesday that he believes the injury to Howard occurred during a center-quarterback exchange.
“I guess the big news is Will Howard left with a hand injury that’s being evaluated,” Tomlin said.
Veteran quarterback Skylar Thompson replaced Howard as the No. 3 QB.
Howard, a former Ohio State star and Pennsylvania native is in his first season with the Steelers after being drafted by Pittsburgh in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
In addition to Howard, first-year tight end Jonnu Smith also suffered an injury, but it is not believed to be serious.
“Jonnu left with some knee soreness. We’ll evaluate him, as well. That appears to be less significant,” Tomlin said. “But we’re examining Will Howard. We’ll see where it takes us.”
Will Howard wasn’t drafted until the sixth round of April’s NFL Draft, despite leading Ohio State to a national title last season.
He threw for 4,010 yards and 35 touchdowns during his one and only season with the Buckeyes, while completing 73.1 percent of his passes.
Despite the impressive numbers in college and the fact that he proved himself as a winner, Howard still had plenty of doubters as he went through the draft process. He is putting in the work throughout the offseason and during training camp to try and prove those doubters wrong.
“The thing I’ve been focusing on the most through this offseason and this training camp is just throwing the ball through people,” he said. “I think a big knock on me through the draft process was my arm strength. I don’t necessarily agree with that. I think sometimes I just take some velocity off the ball maybe to place it or to be too accurate.
“But I’ve been trying to focus on throwing the ball through people. Even if there’s a guy wide open, like, still putting velocity on that thing -- keeping my cleats on the ground and using the ground and using my power to get everything on every throw that I can.”
Earlier during training camp, Howard spoke about what it has been like going through his first NFL preseason.
“Oh, I’m having a blast. This is my dream. This is my childhood dream,“ Will Howard said. ”So I’m trying to remember that every day, while also keeping it a business and taking care of business and executing. But at the end of the day, man, it’s fun. It’s football."
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