What was previously expected is now official. The Pittsburgh Steelers have placed rookie sixth-round quarterback Will Howard and rookie seventh-round cornerback Donte Kent on Injured Reserve and have re-signed safety Chuck Clark and interior offensive lineman Max Scharping to their 53-man roster.
The team announced the moves Thursday morning.
Pat McAfee Show correspondent Mark Kaboly reported the expected moves on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after the Steelers weren’t awarded any players on waivers.
Howard and Kent going on Injured Reserve means the two will miss the first four weeks of the season before being eligible to return, should they have their practice windows opened and are designated to return.
Howard and Kent will miss the season opener against the New York Jets on the road, the Week 2 home opener against the Seattle Seahawks, Week 3 on the road against the New England Patriots, and the Week 4 Ireland game against the Minnesota Vikings in Dublin.
The earliest the two rookies could return is in Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns as the Steelers have a Week 5 bye.
As for the moves to re-sign Clark and Scharping, both were expected to circle back after being part of the final roster cuts Tuesday. Clark was signed early in training camp as a potential key depth piece at safety behind Juan Thornhill and DeShon Elliott, while Scharping’s versatility on the interior of the offensive line was key throughout the summer, giving Pittsburgh valuable experience.
It’s a disappointing development for Howard, who was having a strong summer prior to breaking his pinky during a training camp practice on Aug. 5. It came on a fluke play in which he was taking a normal center/quarterback exchange.
Howard missed the entire preseason and has been wearing a brace/splint on his right hand.
As Steelers Depot’s Alex Kozora noted, Howard was having a strong summer and was really starting to build up some promise at the quarterback position fresh off a national championship at Ohio State.
“My impression of his camp was that the moment wasn’t too big for him. Plenty of rookies come in with a deer-in-headlights look. That manifests itself in a couple of ways. Quarterbacks who check down every pass, those who hold the ball forever, leading to “dead” plays with a blown whistle, and those who don’t seem decisive with the football.
Howard was none of those things. He knew where to go with the football. His throws came out on time. He beat the blitz. He threw just one pick during his worst practice, a forced throw snagged by S Sebastian Castro.”
Kent didn’t do much during training camp and was seen at one point in Latrobe wearing a walking boot. There’s a chance, considering the limited snaps he had in training camp and no preseason action, that it could be a redshirt year for Kent on Injured Reserve.
It could be one for Howard, too.
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