Will Howard’s Turnovers Threaten His Steelers Roster Spot

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback competition has intensified following a disappointing preseason performance that may jeopardize one player’s position on the roster.

Will Howard, the team’s sixth-round selection in the 2025 draft, delivered a strong showing in his NFL debut last week before struggling significantly on Friday night during a 17-0 loss to the New York Jets.

In four drives, Howard completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards, but his evening was marred by two critical interceptions. The two possessions that didn’t result in turnovers ended in quick three-and-outs.

“I felt really comfortable in the pocket,” Howard said after the game, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “I felt like I was going through my progressions well, especially early first and second down, and felt good about how I played, but those two turnovers will really, really make it sour.”

Howard took full responsibility for both mistakes, acknowledging that they were avoidable errors.

“Both of them were unfortunate,” Howard said. “Just can’t happen. Running a shallow cross and kind of drift a little bit and the safety jumped it. Just got to see in front of that. There’s other little things on the play. . . . And that second one just got undercut and just got to put it out in front of him.”

However, head coach Mike McCarthy suggested that rookie receiver Roman Wilson, the intended target on both plays, may have contributed to the breakdowns.

“There’s always plays that are cleaner than others and those two plays were not clean,” McCarthy said.

Rookie third-round pick Drew Allar took over for the second half, completing 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards while enduring three sacks.

Allar appears to have secured his roster spot, given the significant draft capital invested in acquiring him. With four quarterbacks currently on the roster, Howard is likely the odd man out unless the Steelers choose to maintain four passers on their 53-man roster.

Interestingly, Howard’s recent struggles might actually benefit his long-term prospects with the organization. The poor performance could make it easier for him to clear waivers and join the practice squad. If the Steelers want to avoid risking losing Howard entirely, their only option besides keeping four quarterbacks would be to release veteran backup Mason Rudolph—who wouldn’t be subject to waivers—with the understanding that he would quickly be re-signed to the practice squad and potentially elevated weekly to serve as the No. 2 quarterback behind Aaron Rodgers.

Source link