Steelers' Will Howard Reportedly Suffers Fractured Hand Injury, Out At Least 3 Weeks

Pittsburgh Steelers third-string quarterback Will Howard fractured a small bone in his right hand during Tuesday's training camp practice, according to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport.

Howard, who exited practice early because of the injury, is still undergoing tests.

It is "likely" Howard will not require surgery, Rapoport noted. The quarterback expected to miss a minimum of three weeks.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters after practice that he believed Howard's injury occurred on a center-quarterback exchange.

Howard gave a thumbs up as he left the practice field on Tuesday, per Steelers reporter Mark Kaboly.

Selected in the sixth round of the 2025 draft out of Ohio State, Howard is currently set to enter his first NFL season as a backup behind Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.

Howard seemed to gain the edge in the battle with Skylar Thompson for the Steelers' third-string quarterback spot early in training camp. He was taking reps with the team's third offense by the second day of camp, per Brian Batko of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

That position was confirmed when Howard was listed on the Steelers' initial preseason depth chart behind Rodgers and Rudolph but ahead of Thompson.

Howard has since earned praise from Steelers quarterback coach Tom Arth, who recently told Tim Benz of Trib Total Media that the former Ohio State starter was "a very smart player."

“What I love about Will is he plays the game so well from the pocket," Arth told Benz. "He sees it. Moves really well in the pocket. He’s a very accurate passer. Those qualities typically lead to very successful careers.”

Howard went into Tuesday "in line to play significant snaps" when the Steelers open the 2025 preseason on Saturday against the Jacksonville Jaguars, according to ESPN's Brooke Pryor.

Thompson, a former backup for the Miami Dolphins, replaced Howard with the third-string offense after Howard's exit from practice on Tuesday.

“I go into it every day being ready to go. When that happened, I was excited to get some more reps," Thompson said after practice, per Joe Rutter of Trib Total Media.

With Howard sidelined, Thompson is likely to make his Steelers debut against the Jaguars on Saturday.