Going into training camp, many Pittsburgh Steelers fans were excited to see how rookie quarterback Will Howard would perform. While he was only a sixth-round pick, Howard had a successful collegiate career, including helping Ohio State win the National Championship last year. Unfortunately, Howard suffered a finger injury in the middle of camp that could force him to miss the entire preseason. Recently, he shared his thoughts on the injury.
“It hurts me that I’m not out there, but I’m trying to stay as involved as I can be,” Howard said Tuesday via the team’s YouTube channel. “And I could probably be better about staying more involved and just trying to get as many mental reps as I possibly can.
“Trying to make that an emphasis this week because it’s easy when you have something like this happen and I’m kind of in the mental state that I’m in,” Howard continued. “It sucks. It’s brutal. But at this point, we’re professionals. You gotta be a man and step up and continue to learn and grow every day regardless of the situation.”
While Howard has a lot of hype around him, he’s still a sixth-round pick. These reps are incredibly valuable for him. Looking at the rest of the Steelers’ quarterback room, it doesn’t seem likely that Howard will get much playing time during the regular season.
However, just because he can’t get on the field doesn’t mean he can’t get better. He’s still got a lot to learn about the NFL. These mental reps could be just as important. Howard has talked before about how he’s learning a lot from Aaron Rodgers. Now, he can really maximize that well of knowledge that’s available to him.
Unfortunately, that’s not stopping Howard from wanting to get back out on the field as soon as possible.
“I’m trying as hard as I can to not be bugged by this a ton, but it does suck,” he said. “The competitor in me would tear my left arm off if I could go back in there.”
While Howard’s enthusiasm is appreciated, the Steelers would probably prefer he keep his arm and wait for his hand to heal. He might not miss the entire preseason, either. Howard managed to avoid surgery, and Mike Tomlin has yet to rule him out for the rest of the preseason.
He could return, perhaps for the Steelers’ final preseason game. However, it’s important that the Steelers don’t rush him back. While this is a minor injury, there’s no reason to aggravate it. Even if it means missing the entire preseason, Howard’s health is most important.
Before getting hurt, Howard was receiving positive reviews from teammate and coaches. This year is all about learning for him. Rodgers and the Steelers are focused on trying to make a run at a Super Bowl. While it’s unlikely that Howard will become their franchise quarterback, he could help his case in that department by working hard now. That includes making sure is body is 100-percent healthy.
