Just hours before the NFL roster cutdown deadline, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a quarterback dilemma. Sixth-round rookie draft pick Will Howard suffered a hand injury toward the end of training camp and missed the entire preseason, while Skylar Thompson stole the show.
Right now, Thompson has the hot hand, and many are predicting that he will land on the Steelers' final roster. But head coach Mike Tomlin just gave the rookie a huge vote of confidence when speaking to the media on Monday, via the team's official YouTube channel.
When Tomlin was asked about Howard's status, the head coach shared that Howard is close to full participation.
"He's had some positive reviews, meeting with the hand specialist," Tomlin told the media regarding Howard. "We've increased his level of activity. We've altered the brace that you mentioned. And so, he's moving in the right direction in terms of full participation very soon."
Tomlin's response just made his stance on Will Howard crystal clear.
Mike Tomlin's response points to Will Howard's roster security with the Pittsburgh Steelers
Sixth-round draft choices are hardly a roster lock. We've already seen the Philadelphia Eagles cut sixth-round rookie quarterback Kyle McCord, while dozens of other Day 3 rookie picks could soon hit the waiver wire.
In a league that's all about producing results fast, owners and coaches often don't have the patience to allow late-round rookies to develop. However, Tomlin's response made it clear that Howard stands to be part of this team for the foreseeable future.
Tomlin made no mention of the quarterback competition and whether Howard's job was safe. Instead, he focused on his young quarterback's health—noting that he increased Howard's activity in practice and is getting him up to speed. These typically aren't words you would say about a player hours before roster cuts if the plan is for him not to make the team.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Howard is immune from beginning the season on IR with a designation to return, and it's even possible that the Steelers could choose to shut him down for the year after the emergence of Skylar Thompson.
However, if the roles were swapped with other late-round picks this year, you likely wouldn't catch Tomlin talking about rookies like cornerback Donte Kent or linebacker Carson Bruener in the same light. There's a reason for that; Howard isn't going anywhere.
Will Howard had a strong training camp, and Mike Tomlin isn't about to send him packing after an unfortunate hand injury that cost him his rookie preseason. Howard is going to be part of the future roster in Pittsburgh, even if he never suits up in 2025.