Steelers HC Mike Tomlin
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Head coach Mike Tomlin will reportedly welcome a pair of veterans back to the lineup soon.
With the 2025 NFL roster cutdown deadline in the books, many would expect teams to slow down on the transaction front. There’s no such luck for several franchises, however, the Pittsburgh Steelers included.
As the month of August rolls on and Week 1 of the regular season approaches, general manager Omar Khan is still quite busy. Per a Wednesday report from Brooke Pryor of ESPN, four player-related decisions are looming.
The Steelers will place rookies QB Will Howard and CB Donte Kent on IR, per source.
With the freed up roster spots, the team is signing S Chuck Clark and OL Max Scharping.
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) August 27, 2025
Steelers Reportedly to Place Will Howard & Donte Kent on Injured Reserve
For starters, rookies Will Howard and Donte Kent will be going on the injured reserve list. In their potential places on the 53-man roster, safety Chuck Clark and offensive lineman Max Scharping have paths laid out to return.
“The Steelers will place rookies QB Will Howard and CB Donte Kent on IR, per source,” Pryor wrote. “With the freed up roster spots, the team is signing S Chuck Clark and OL Max Scharping.”
It’s certainly an unfortunate break for both first-year players. Howard, a sixth-round pick by Pittsburgh, hurt his hand on August 5 by suffering a fractured pinky finger. It was on his throwing hand, rendering him unable to play during the preseason. This would be an unsurprising move, especially given the existence of fellow quarterback Skylar Thompson on the depth chart. For now, Thompson is backing up Mason Rudolph and first-stringer Aaron Rodgers.
Kent, also a 2025 NFL Draft class member, has a more serious injury. He’s nursing a foot/ankle ailment that kept him out of the preseason as well. He was in a walking boot for an extended period of time. With reps not really up for grabs in the secondary, Kent wouldn’t have played much — if at all — anyway.
Mark Kaboly, Steelers correspondant for The Pat McAfee Show, said both players will go on “short-term IR.” This, in theory, allows them to return after missing four regular-season contests if put back on the roster.
This story is being updated.