For the first time during the regular season, Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard participated in practice Wednesday.
Howard remains on the injured reserve list, but getting cleared to practice opens up a 21-day window during which he must be activated to the 53-man roster or else he is lost for the season.
Howard was listed as a full practice participant Wednesday on the injury report.
The starting quarterback for the reigning national champion Ohio State Buckeyes, Howard missed all three preseason games because of a broken finger on his throwing (right) hand suffered while taking a snap during a training-camp practice Aug. 5 at Saint Vincent.
Looking svelte and empowered by a month of preparing and putting on presentations for his 4-time MVP mentor, Will Howard is back throwing and says he's feeling great. He could come off IR as soon as Monday for the Steelers.
READ:https://t.co/CXtPExvuxd— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) October 1, 2025
The 6-foot-4, 236-pound Howard was the eighth quarterback selected in the April draft. The Steelers took him in the sixth round at No. 185 overall. Early during camp, he had surpassed Skylar Thompson (his former teammate at Kansas State) on the depth chart to serve as the No. 3 QB behind veterans Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph.
Thompson instead opened the season as the QB3 until Thompson went on IR after Week 1 because of a hamstring injury. Thompson remains on IR.
The Steelers on Tuesday released Logan Woodside from the practice squad, foretelling that one of their injured quarterbacks would be cleared for practice.
The Steelers have not had three quarterbacks in uniform for a game since the season opener. NFL rules allow for a No. 3 “emergency” QB to account for a bonus gameday roster spot, but that must be a player on the 53-man roster.
The Steelers will have space to add a player to the 53-man because special-teams captain Miles Killebrew recently underwent season-ending surgery. Howard joins inside linebacker Malik Harrison as players on IR who are in the 21-day practice window.
Cornerback Cory Trice is another player on IR who could return to practice soon.
