A tough outing puts Howard under the spotlight
Will Howard’s preseason path with the Pittsburgh Steelers has taken an unexpected turn. After a promising opening performance, the young quarterback faced a much tougher test against the New York Jets, throwing two interceptions in a shutout loss.
With Pittsburgh’s quarterback room already crowded and roster decisions approaching, attention is now turning to where Howard stands. His next opportunity could provide another important clue about the Steelers’ plans.
Howard struggled against the Jets
Howard started against the Jets while Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph did not play. He completed 10 of 15 passes for 74 yards during Pittsburgh’s 17-0 preseason loss.
Howard also threw 2 interceptions, including one during a red-zone drive and another on a possession that reached Jets territory. The performance created discussion about Pittsburgh’s quarterback depth, although reports indicated the team still planned to keep him.
Howard opened preseason strongly
Howard’s first preseason appearance came against Green Bay in Pittsburgh’s 28-9 victory. He completed 7 of 9 passes for 86 yards and helped lead an 80-yard touchdown drive before halftime.
Howard also rushed once for 2 yards during the game. His 106.5 passer rating marked a strong preseason debut before his more difficult performance against New York.
Two interceptions changed the night
Howard threw 2 interceptions against the Jets after going without one against Green Bay. Andre Cisco intercepted his first pass, which was intended for Roman Wilson during a red-zone possession.
Samuel Womack III later intercepted another pass intended for Wilson. Howard finished 10 of 15 for 74 yards and was sacked once in the 17-0 loss.
Howard acknowledged the mistakes
Howard acknowledged after the Jets game that his performance was not up to par. He called both interceptions unfortunate and emphasized that protecting the football remains important.
Howard also explained that Pittsburgh had been moving the ball on both drives before the mistakes. He said the experience gave him areas to learn from before the preseason finale.
Pittsburgh has four quarterbacks
Pittsburgh entered the preseason with Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and Drew Allar at quarterback. The Steelers’ initial depth chart listed Rodgers first, followed by Rudolph, Howard and Allar.
Rodgers and Rudolph did not play against the Jets, leaving Howard and Allar to handle the quarterback snaps. The four-quarterback group created a roster decision for Pittsburgh.
Interesting fact: The Steelers were the first team to win six Super Bowls.
Allar also struggled against New York
Allar also faced difficulties against the Jets after a strong preseason opener. He completed 11 of 23 passes for 110 yards and was sacked 3 times.
Allar did connect with tight end Lake McRee for a 38-yard gain. Neither Howard nor Allar threw a touchdown, and Pittsburgh finished the game without scoring in its 17-0 defeat.
Interesting fact: The Steelers were once called the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Steelers reportedly plan to keep Howard
Despite Howard’s 2-interception outing, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that the Steelers had already decided to keep Howard and Allar. Pro Football Talk later reported the same plan, citing Dulac’s report.
The decision was reported before Pittsburgh’s preseason finale. That means Howard’s Jets performance did not, by itself, change the reported roster plan.
Four quarterbacks remain a roster question
With Howard, Allar, Rodgers and Rudolph all in the quarterback group, Pittsburgh faces a decision over how many players to carry. Keeping all 4 would use an additional roster spot compared with carrying 3.
ESPN identified accommodating four quarterbacks as a roster-management issue. The Steelers had reportedly decided to keep Howard and Allar, while the final number remained an important question.
Buffalo offers one more preseason test
Pittsburgh’s preseason finale is scheduled against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 27. Steelers reporting indicates Howard and Allar are expected to be the young quarterbacks receiving work in that game.
The finale gives both players another opportunity to demonstrate progress before roster cuts. Pittsburgh will then make its final decisions before the league’s Aug. 30 roster deadline.
Roster cuts are approaching
NFL teams must reduce their rosters to a maximum of 53 players by Aug. 30 at 6 p.m. ET. The deadline follows the preseason schedule and requires teams to finalize their initial regular-season rosters.
Pittsburgh must balance its quarterback plans with roster needs at other positions. Injuries, trades, and other transactions can also affect the final roster before the deadline.
Howard’s preseason numbers are mixed
Through 2 preseason games, Howard has completed 17 of 24 passes for 160 yards. He has thrown 0 passing touchdowns and 2 interceptions.
His first game produced a 106.5 passer rating, while his second produced a 38.6 passer rating. The contrasting numbers show a significant statistical difference between his two preseason appearances.
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Howard gets one more preseason game
Howard’s next scheduled preseason game was against the Buffalo Bills on Aug. 27. Reports indicated Pittsburgh planned to keep Howard and Allar on the initial 53-man roster.
The remaining quarterback question centered on whether the Steelers would carry 3 or 4 players at the position. The Bills’ game provided one final preseason evaluation before roster decisions.
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Do you think Pittsburgh should keep him for the regular season? Like this slideshow and comment with your take.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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