Will Howard came into Steelers training camp with a real opening in front of him: the chance to position himself as the young quarterback to keep an eye on behind Aaron Rodgers. Instead, the early read is trending the wrong way. Pittsburgh still needs to figure out whether last year’s sixth-round pick can handle the No. 2 role, but the early work has made that answer feel a lot less certain.
Mason Rudolph has looked like the steadier option, while rookie third-rounder Drew Allar gives Mike McCarthy’s staff a developmental quarterback to work with. That has left Howard in a tough spot. His practice reps have flashed some clean short throws, but the intermediate stuff has been far less convincing.
Howard, 24, has yet to take an NFL snap and spent most of his rookie season on injured reserve.
Penn Live reporter Nick Farabaugh described Howard after Tuesday’s practice as “a little bit up-down-up-down,” though he also said the quarterback “settled in quite nicely.” Even with that, his depth-chart assessment was not encouraging for anyone hoping Howard would push Rudolph.
“I think the gap between Rudolph and Howard right now is bigger than the gap between Howard and Allar,” Farabaugh said on “The Steelers Blitz” podcast. “If you want to win that job, that’s not where it needs to be for Will Howard.”
The next day didn’t bring the kind of bounce-back Howard needed. Jack Markowski wrote for Steelers Sports Illustrated that Howard “didn’t look the part,” pointing to ball placement beyond five yards and mechanics that raised questions. He was still efficient in shorter drills and team periods, but the staff needs to see that carry over when the throws get longer.
Howard split reps evenly with Rudolph on Thursday and Friday, but the same issues kept showing up: inconsistent spin and placement on intermediate and deep throws. Those are the passes he has to make if Pittsburgh is ever going to trust him as Rodgers’ game-day backup.
The situation also reflects how the roster was built around him. McCarthy inherited Howard rather than selecting him, while Mike Tomlin’s staff drafted the former Ohio State passer. McCarthy’s group then spent a third-round pick on Allar, which gives the rookie time and puts Howard under a much tighter deadline.
Preseason action begins with Green Bay on Thursday, and that gives Howard his first shot against an opposing NFL defense. Rudolph looks like the favorite to land the backup job, much to Steelers Nation’s dismay, but Howard still has a chance to change the conversation. His first live game reps will give the coaching staff a clearer picture of where he really stands.
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