Thursday was an eventful night for the Pittsburgh Steelers. It was the first opportunity rookie third-round quarterback Drew Allar received in a game. But it was also the first occasion fellow signal-caller Will Howard dressed in black and gold for a contest.
Howard missed the exhibition campaign last August during his rookie season because of a hand injury in training camp.
While playing on three drives, Howard completed 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards versus the Green Bay Packers. He led the Steelers on one touchdown drive.
But more than any particular throw or scoring drive, Howard was just thankful to be back in a game.
“I’m just so grateful that God gave me this opportunity to come back my second year and get a chance to play because last year,” Howard told reporters during his postgame press conference. “It hurts not being able to go out there and do what you love.
“Working on it, and all the work I felt I put in. I felt like I was ready last year. Obviously, you know, sometimes things happen and you don’t get that opportunity. Injuries happen, but it makes you appreciate the times you are able to go out there even more.
“I think it gave me a good perspective on how to approach these games and how to approach every day because nothing’s guaranteed. I’m just so blessed and thankful that I got the opportunity to come back and play football again.”
Thursday’s preseason contest was Howard’s first game since the 2025 College Football National Championship. That was about 19 months ago.
Steelers’ Will Howard Makes Preseason Debut
Steelers Nation has been waiting more than a year for Howard to show what he can do in a game. He wasn’t perfect. Head coach Mike McCarthy suggested Howard experienced some ups and downs.
But he also showed a lot of poise in the situations he found himself in throughout the night.
“Will [Howard] had some peaks and valleys there because of some things that didn’t go quite right,” McCarthy told reporters. “I thought he did a really good job of his composure.
“Playing through the two-minute drill was excellent.”
The only scoring drive Howard delivered was in the two-minute drill. With 53 seconds left in the first half, Howard struck tight end Robert Tonyan for what was initially ruled a 23-yard touchdown.
Officials reviewed the play and called Tonyan down at the 1-yard line. But the Steelers scored a touchdown on the next play.
Howard was 4-for-4 with 70 passing yards on the drive. That included a 17-yard strike to Ben Skowronek on fourth-and-1 to extend the possession with 1:48 remaining in the second quarter.
Howard Faces Crucial 2026 Preseason
Howard might have been feeling the pressure entering Thursday night. A lot of pundits have hyped the 2026 preseason as a make-or-break situation for the young quarterback.
Because he missed last year’s preseason, Steelers fans and pundits will probably be judging him off what he does this August. Even if the Steelers coaching staff takes into account how he might have improved since the spring or practice last fall, the preseason could still matter a lot because of Pittsburgh’s quarterback room.
In addition to Howard, the Steelers have Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph and Drew Allar. Rudolph and Allar played well Thursday too.
There’s a possibility the Steelers keep all four quarterbacks. Even still, it’s hard to imagine Howard remaining in Pittsburgh past August 30 unless he plays well in the preseason.
At least through Week 1, Howard delivered on what he presumably needs to do for a roster spot in 2026.
Will Howard Issues Strong Message on Steelers Preseason Debut