The Pittsburgh Steelers came away from the 2025 preseason satisfied at the quarterback position for the first time in a long time. Still, the bottom of the depth chart remains a murky issue headed into the regular season.
Sixth-round pick Will Howard appeared to have the third-string job locked up before the preseason game began, but an untimely broken pinky on his throwing hand derailed his opportunity to perform in an NFL stadium.
In his relief, Skylar Thompson picked up the slack and then some, orchestrating the offense well for most of the Steelers’ offensive possessions throughout the preseason. With Thompson performing adequately and the timing of Howard’s injury, the Steelers came into the Tuesday roster deadline with a serious decision to make.
Quarterback battle complicates the Pittsburgh Steelers’ final roster moves
The Steelers opted for the path of least resistance, keeping all four quarterbacks on the initial roster. Thompson appears to be ahead on the depth chart, considering his impressive showing in the preseason, overshadowing Howard’s injury.
Howard’s injury could allow the Steelers some more flexibility later in the season. They could shut down Howard by putting him on IR if Thompson seems to pull away with the job or if Howard fails to progress for one reason or another.
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The Steelers could also send either player to the practice squad down the road, but that does carry risks of other teams swiping them up if Pittsburgh can’t counter. It seems more likely that the Steelers would pursue a trade for Thompson rather than taking that gamble with either passer.
Nonetheless, considering the third-string quarterback doesn’t “officially” get a helmet, instead entering gameday as an inactive emergency quarterback option, the Steelers could send Thompson packing later, whether via trade or sending him down to the practice squad with less trepidation.
A national championship-winning quarterback with the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2024, Howard has potential that many Steelers fans would like to see develop behind Aaron Rodgers. Of course, his opportunities are certainly limited going forward, barring an absolute catastrophe at the position.
Considering the opportunities that likely await Pittsburgh in the 2026 NFL Draft, how the Steelers handle Howard in the coming weeks could very well clear up their future plans at quarterback.