By the end of the 2025 preseason, we were wondering whether the Pittsburgh Steelers would choose between rookie Will Howard or preseason star Skylar Thompson for their No. 3 quarterback spot. Now they have neither... at least for September.
On Wednesday, the team made a surprising injury announcement. Thompson is heading to the injured reserve list, the team officially reported. This was out of the blue, as Thompson didn't even dress for the Steelers' Week 1 game against the New York Jets.
Thompson sustained a hamstring injury in practice. Now the 28-year-old quarterback finds himself on IR, and his absence leaves the Steelers razor-thin at the most important position in football.
The Pittsburgh Steelers can't afford any more injuries at the quarterback position
Thankfully, Aaron Rodgers was able to escape Sunday's win over the Jets without any injuries. However, Rodgers was sacked four times, and it seems there's only so many hits the 41-year-old can take before he's hobbled to the point where he misses some action.
For now, Rodgers and Mason Rudolph are the only healthy quarterbacks on the roster. If the worst-case scenario unfolds—and we pray that it doesn't—the Steelers could be forced to call upon practice squad QB Logan Woodside.
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Thompson, meanwhile, will need to remain on IR for a minimum of four weeks before he's eligible to return to the field. Howard is eligible to return a bit sooner after being placed on IR during NFL roster cutdowns. However, that would require his hand injury to be healthy enough for a return to the field if called upon in an emergency situation.
The likelihood of both Rodgers and Rudolph going down with injuries over the next few weeks is rare. But with how poorly the offensive line played in Week 1 against the Jets, it wouldn't be shocking to see the Steelers being forced to resort to their third quarterback option at some point this year.
Linebacker Malik Harrison joins Thompson on the reserve/injured list. The Pittsburgh Steelers have already been bitten by the injury bug, and it's only Week 2.