Steelers rookie QB Will Howard drew more than his fair share of buzz throughout the offseason, but his injury quieted the hype train. Now sidelined after fracturing his pinky, he's just trying to make the most of the situation. While he may miss the entire preseason, he is doing everything he can to prepare for any opportunity.
"I wish I could be out there playing, but the fact of the matter is, it happened," Howard said earlier this week via the Steelers' YouTube channel. "I've got to continue to stay locked in and make sure I'm still on my stuff and locked in during meetings and practice and still getting all the mental reps. Because this time still is important to me."
A sixth-round pick out of Ohio State, Will Howard joined the Steelers before even Aaron Rodgers did, at least officially. But Rodgers has taken him under his wing and has nurtured his development every step of the way. The former due to age and the latter due to injury, however, neither participated in the Steelers' first preseason game. Howard is unlikely to participate in any, even if there is some hope he can play in the final game. In the meantime, he is preparing as best he can until he can properly grip the football again.
"Although I'm not getting the physical reps, I need to continue to get the mental reps if I want to continue on the trajectory that I was on. And I felt like I was doing well," Howard said. "So I need to continue to make steps and make strides, even though I can't necessarily do it physically out there. But I'm just trying to maximize every day and make the best of it."
According to Alex Kozora's charting, Will Howard had a successful training camp, statistically. Training camp stats have very limited value, of course, but they are one data point. Prior to his injury, Howard completed 37-of-57 passes for 335 yards with eight touchdowns and one interception. He completed about 65 percent of his passes at 9.1 yards per attempt.
But that means a lot less without a look at what he might have done in a preseason game. Were it not for his injury, Howard surely would have played extensively in the Steelers' preseason opener. Instead, Skylar Thompson had an extended opportunity to showcase himself and possibly sneak onto the roster.
It is unclear whether Howard will be healthy enough to dress for Week 1. Even if he is, the Steelers may not deem him prepared to dress. Whether he is ready or not, he will serve, at best, as the emergency third quarterback. All the more reason it's such a shame that he will likely miss the entire preseason. If he can return for the final game, it would make a huge difference in his evaluation.
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