Second-year Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard received more valuable preseason repetitions Thursday night against the Buffalo Bills. But it might have come at a cost.
The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Chris Adamski reported after the conclusion of the game, Howard needed medical attention from the team’s staff.
“Will Howard is being evaluated by medical staff after reporting something during the 2nd half,” wrote Adamski on X. “Still being evaluated.”
As of 11 pm ET, there was no further update on Howard’s health. The quarterback didn’t hold a press conference in front of the media after the game.
“QB Will Howard wasn’t available to speak with media postgame because he went to be evaluated by the medical staff in the second half and is still being evaluated,” wrote ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.
Howard finished the night 9 of 15 with 69 passing yards. The quarterback also had two touchdowns and one interception.
The Bills knocked off the Steelers 28-27.
Steelers’ Will Howard May Have Suffered Injury in Preseason Finale
The quarterback’s injury didn’t come to light Thursday night until after Mike McCarthy’s press conference. So, the media didn’t ask McCarthy about Howard’s status.
There might not be any more answers on Howard’s potential injury until Friday morning or even later.
The coaching staff will go into roster debate mode for a couple days. The Steelers have to trim their roster from 90 to 53 players by 6 pm ET on Sunday, August 30.
Before Thursday’s game, multiple Steelers insiders reported the team was planning to keep four quarterbacks, including Howard. McCarthy insinuated after the game that was the plan when he spoke to reporters.
Howard’s injury is unlikely to impact that decision. If anything, it could help the Steelers.
Howard played the entire first half Thursday night against the Bills. The Steelers offensive line didn’t hold up particularly well and gave up three sacks with Howard behind center.
It’s not clear at this time, though, if Howard sustained his ailment on one of the sacks or another play.
How Pittsburgh Could Benefit From Minor Howard Injury
To be clear, the last thing the Steelers should want for Howard is another serious injury. He missed several months, including the entire preseason, of his rookie campaign because of a fractured bone in his hand.
Any injury sidelining Howard for a significant length of time could stunt his development again.
Having said that, if Howard has a minor injury, some Steelers pundits and fans aren’t going to view it as the worst thing in the world.
The Steelers have four quarterbacks they want to keep. If Howard is eligible for injured reserve, the team can retain all four signal-callers without having four spots on their active 53-man roster dedicated to quarterbacks.
Aaron Rodgers will enter the regular season as the team’s starter for a second straight year. It appears Mason Rudolph will open Week 1 as the experienced, veteran QB2. The Steelers also drafted Drew Allar in the third round this past spring.
Another way to keep four quarterbacks and not have them all on the 53-man roster would be to waive one and then re-sign him to the practice squad. To do that, though, that quarterback would have to pass through waivers.
It’s not likely any of Pittsburgh’s four quarterbacks would go unclaimed on waivers after the August 30 deadline.
Steelers’ Will Howard Undergoes Medical Evaluation After Bills Game: Report