The Steelers placed rookie QB Will Howard on the Reserve/Injured List on Thursday, but when will we see him off IR? Multiple beat writers suggest he might spend the entire year there, and there’s a good case for it. Although it’s not optimal for his development, Pittsburgh’s priority until February is winning games.
“I definitely think it’s a possibility”, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said on 93.7 The Fan yesterday when asked whether the Steelers might leave Will Howard on IR all season. The rookie broke the pinky of his throwing hand shortly before the first preseason game. Having missed such crucial evaluation time, the move is understandable.
That is especially so because the Steelers like what they have in Skylar Thompson, who is currently their third quarterback. Unless They bring Howard off IR at some point this year, he seems locked into that role. Pittsburgh could still trade him if presented with the right offer at the right time, as with Joshua Dobbs.
“They could put [Howard] on the shelf for the entire season like they did with Logan Lee last year”, Fitipaldo said. “They’ve done it in the past. It’s just a way to stash rookies, to get them a year of service. They’re in the building, they’re on the team, but they’re not practicing with the rest of the guys”.
It’s worth noting that the Steelers did not immediately placed Howard on IR, but rather waited. Teams may place up to two players on IR on cutdown day without counting against the 53-man roster. In order to be eligible to return, a player must otherwise occupy a spot on the roster. The catch is players moved on cutdown day automatically receive one of their team’s eight allotted return slots.
The fact that the Steelers waited to put Will Howard on IR sends a clear signal, which is, they are open to him staying there all season. That may even be what their plan is, but they will surely be flexible, as well. If someone offers a sixth-round pick for Thompson, they can open Howard’s practice window and sign Logan Woodside as a bridge until Howard is ready.
“I get it, but there’s also a football season to be played”, Fittipaldo said when addressing the impact of being on IR for Howard’s development. “There’s no guarantees that if you bring him back as the No. 3 quarterback that he’s gonna be better than Skylar Thompson. And I think the Steelers’ coaches realize that. And there’s also the factor of, you want somebody with experience”.
As much as the Steelers might like Will Howard, that doesn’t change the reality that he is wildly inexperienced. Without a name attached, most would agree that you don’t want a rookie sixth-round quarterback who missed the entire preseason to be one snap away from being your backup.
The Steelers never banked on him being their franchise quarterback, anyway. Even if he never takes a practice rep this year and he remains on IR, Howard will still be back next year. And perhaps he’ll be competing for the backup job then, maybe even in a “competition” to start.
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