The Pittsburgh Steelers made a large portion of the fan base excited with the team's draft class in 2025. The franchise addressed a lot of needs, while also bringing in some guys with high upside. First-round pick Derrick Harmon has already made his presence known as he has two sacks after playing in just three games. Jack Sawyer has been a consistent contributor on special teams, while also filling in nicely on defense. The rookies in Pittsburgh seem to be a good sign of what is to come in the future, but the fans were truly excited to hear about the progress of one of the first-year players, quarterback Will Howard.
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Steelers quarterback Will Howard (18) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Howard was selected in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, which was a bit of a surprise as many draft analysts thought the quarterback would go much earlier. He was an instant fan-favorite throughout training camp, but he suffered a thumb injury during a practice that cut his preseason before it even began. The quarterback still has yet to see the field as an NFL quarterback, and he hasn't even been able to practice throughout the regular season as he was put on Injured Reserve due to his injury.
Team insider Gerry Dulac was asked if either Howard or Skylar Thompson would be activated off of IR soon, and his response didn't seem too promising.
"No such thing as a redshirt in the NFL, though I think I know what you mean," Dulac wrote. "I think they are going to keep their fingers crossed with two QBs until there is an injury for now."
Dulac speculates that the organization is fine with just Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph being available for game days, which is a bit concerning as that makes Pittsburgh relatively thin at the position. However, the franchise is prioritizing other spots on the roster for the last active spots.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard on the run at St. Vincent College during 2025 training camp.
Fans are very optimistic about the future of Howard. He had a promising showing when healthy throughout training camp, and he has all the physical tools to be a good quarterback at the NFL level. He also is a prototypical quarterback when it comes to his size.
Howard not being activated yet off of IR is not a huge deal, but it is a bit concerning. He was likely never going to see the field during a game anyway, but being on IR also means that he is not allowed to practice. This hurts his development, as he can't even run as the scout team quarterback during the week. This very well could be a "red-shirt" year for Howard, but it would be nice if he could actually step foot on the practice field; that way he can actually learn from Rodgers.
It is a long shot that Howard winds up becoming the future of the quarterback position for Pittsburgh, but that is what many fans are hoping. The young quarterback has a long way to go, but the sooner he gets activated, the better.
Steelers' Will Howard Could Get Legitimate Opportunity In 2026
The assumption has been that the Steelers are going to go after the quarterback position in the 2026 NFL Draft. However, it was recently reported that the organization is not going to be reaching for a player at the position. There is a world where the Steelers are not in position to draft one of the top players, which could put Howard in line to start in 2026.
Sebastian Foltz / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Steelers QBs Will Howard (left) and Aaron Rodgers (right) at mandatory minicamp.
It is all going to come down to whether or not Rodgers comes back, and if the Steelers make any moves during the 2026 offseason. Rudolph is also under contract in 2026, but the team already knows what he is capable of.
What do you think of Howard still being on IR? Let us know in the comments below!
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