Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers are facing a very interesting situation at the quarterback position. Although Aaron Rodgers is the chosen one to win now, the reality is that the team is also looking for its star of the future.
In recent years, following Ben Roethlisbergerâs retirement, the list of names and failed projects keeps growing: Kenny Pickett, Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, Justin Fields, and Russell Wilson.
None of them achieved the goal of keeping the Steelers as Super Bowl contenders. For that reason, general manager Omar Khan has opted for two paths to reach that objective. Rodgers represents the present, and perhaps Will Howard will be the future.
Who got injured with the Steelers?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have officially placed Will Howard on Injured Reserve. At the start of training camp, the quarterback injured a finger on his throwing hand, which prevented him from participating in preseason games. Now, that injury carries over into the regular season.
This means that Howard will not be active for the Steelers during the first four weeks of the season, which includes the games against the Jets, Seattle Seahawks, New England Patriots, and Minnesota Vikings.
Who is the backup quarterback for the Steelers?
Mason Rudolph is the backup quarterback for the Steelers, but thanks to his strong performances in the preseason, Skylar Thompson could challenge for that spot in the coming days. However, it seems that Rudolphâs familiarity with the system will likely secure him the No. 2 position.
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What is certain is that Thompson was a key reason for not rushing Howardâs return. The Steelers didnât want to risk releasing Skylar, and considering that the rookie is not fully healthy, the IR option gave them a comfortable way to keep both on the team.
