The Pittsburgh Steelers placed quarterback Will Howard on injured reserve Thursday, but he is taking the right steps to making progress towards a return.
Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show on Friday, Howard says that he is set to start throwing this week, the first step in his return from a hand injury that has left him sidelined for the past month.
Howard suffered a broken bone in his throwing hand during training camp, and missed the entire preseason after suffering that injury. It occurred on a center-quarterback exchange.
“I’m back to throwing this week,” Howard said. “So it’s feeling good, going in the right direction.”
Howard’s injured reserve designation means he could be sidelined for the entire season before coming back next year in his second season. In addition to that, the Steelers could always bring Howard back at any point this season if they deem it necessary.
Skylar Thompson impressed during the preseason, and it appears the Steelers could make room for him on the roster by placing Howard on injured reserve to see where he is at in a few weeks.
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.
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.
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