The Pittsburgh Steelers are expecting all four quarterbacks to be ready when they open the 2026 regular season against the Atlanta Falcons, and that includes Will Howard.
Howard drew concern after the Steelers’ preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills, when he was scheduled to meet the media but instead was being checked by the team’s medical staff. The second-year quarterback took several hard hits in the game and was evaluated for a head injury afterward, leaving the exact nature and severity of the issue unclear at the time.
General manager Omar Khan offered the reassuring update, saying Howard should move through concussion protocol soon.
"All these guys are trending positively to be available to us for that game," he said about the team's injury situation. "Will Howard and Ben Skowronek, they had concussions. They're in the protocol, but I see them clearing in the next couple days here."
For Howard, that’s a major break. He was in danger of starting his second NFL season the same way he began his rookie year, on the injured list. Instead, the expectation now is that he’ll be cleared in the next few days and get back onto the practice field before Week 1.
That matters for a quarterback still trying to build momentum. Howard spent his rookie season on injured reserve, limited to being around the team rather than fully in the mix, and the Steelers did what they could to keep him involved. Still, there’s no substitute for actual reps.
This year, he should at least be on the field. He may not get a ton of practice work while sharing the third-quarterback role with Drew Allar, but he can still pick up valuable time with the scout team. It’s not a huge leap, but for Howard and the Steelers, it’s a welcome one.
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There are also several young linemen and defenders in the mix, including Steven Jones, Doug Nester, Esezi Otomewo, Kyler Baugh, Julius Welschof, Jacoby Windmon, Doneiko Slaughter, Sebastian Castro, Lew Nichols and tight end Lake McCree. For a team that always values practice-squad flexibility, the remaining openings suggest this is still a live part of the roster picture, especially with a few of these players offering enough upside to merit another close look. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Just Turned Up The Pressure On Joey Porter Jr
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Joey Porter Jr. is now eligible to get back on the field while the team still works through the larger business side of things. The move does not mean an extension is done, but it does give Pittsburgh the option to bring him back into the lineup and keep negotiating before the season gets rolling, a useful bit of leverage for a team trying to manage both health and roster planning. [Read more 🡒]
Steelers Roster Choice Already Looks Worse For One Big Reason
The Steelers decision to carry four quarterbacks on the initial 53-man roster says plenty about where the organizations priorities sat when cutdown day arrived. Keeping Will Howard, Drew Allar and Mason Rudolph in the mix gave Pittsburgh an unusual amount of depth at the games most important position, even if it came with a cost on the other side of the ball and left room for questions about how the roster was being balanced.
Inside linebacker Elandon Roberts was the notable casualty, and it is the kind of move that can look sharper in hindsight once the rest of the leagues roster churn settles. With young passers such as Will Levis and Joe Milton becoming available after cuts, the Steelers had alternatives they could have targeted for the practice squad, which only adds to the sense that preserving quarterback depth came at the expense of a proven defensive presence. [Read more 🡒]