The Pittsburgh Steelers do not have plans to activate quarterback Will Howard from injured reserve at this time, according to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Howard was placed on injured reserve shortly before the start of the season, and it has been six weeks since that time. Right now, he is probably healthy enough to play, but do the Steelers need a third quarterback?
According to Dulac, the approximation right now is the Steelers would rather have the extra roster spot than a third quarterback, so it is unlikely Howard is back soon.
“I think they are going to keep their fingers crossed with two QBs until there is an injury for now,” Dulac said.
The injury occurred on a freak snap exchange during an August practice, causing Howard to miss the entire preseason and the first four weeks of the season.
Quarterbacks coach Tom Arth says that if Howard is slated to return, he looks great, and is ready to come back at a moment’s notice.
“Will [Howard] has handled the injury as a professional, just as we would expect him to. Really appreciative of our athletic training staff, our strength and conditioning staff. They’ve done a fantastic job working with Will,” Arth said. “I think he’s in great shape right now. He’s been in as good a shape as he’s been since he’s been a Pittsburgh Steeler.”
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.
He impressed in his limited time at training camp before the injury, and was on track to win the QB3 job. However, zero in-game reps for Howard is a splash of cold water on any thoughts about Howard.
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