Will Howard injury: Aaron Rodgers makes his feelings known as Steelers rookie QB suffers throwing hand issue

Pittsburgh Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard had an injury setback this offseason after suffering a hand fracture. However, Aaron Rodgers believes it will be a blessing in disguise.

The multiple-time MVP said during practice on Wednesday that it would allow the sixth-rounder to focus on learning the nuances of the game from the bench, just as he himself did for three years behind Brett Favre:

"It sucks. Sucks for him for sure because he's had such a nice camp as a young player and then watching him in mini camp and just seeing his command of the offense. But this year is a growth year for him, a year to watch and learn."

Brooke Pryor

@bepryor

Aaron Rodgers on Will Howard's throwing hand injury: "It sucks. Sucks for him for sure because he's had such a nice camp as a young player and then watching him in mini camp and just seeing his command of the offense. But this year is a growth year for him."

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, Howard will not need surgery, but will miss three weeks - basically the entire preseason. This stretch of inactivity begins at the Steelers' visit to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Saturday, as admitted by head coach Mike Tomlin:

“It can be characterized as week to week. He’s looking at his options. I’ll have more information when it’s definitive, but he’s certainly out this week. It appears to be non-surgical, and so we’ll see.”

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Will Howard's injury may prove detrimental to 2026 starting prospects, says columnist

Not many people are high on the Steelers' hopes of making the playoffs, let alone winning the Super Bowl, in the 2025 season. Instead, the belief is that they will have a losing record for the first time since 2003, putting them in prime position to draft a quarterback in the first round of the 2026 draft.

And for Heavy.com's Michael Obermuller, Will Howard could not have chosen a worse time to get injured. He already needed some playing time, even just in the preseason, to justify his development and prospects, but this development could see him eventually dumped for a hot commodity like Carson Beck once 2026 comes:

"There is very little chance that general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin put the future of the franchise in the hands of an inexperienced youngster who has never even appeared in a preseason outing, let alone a regular season game."

Obermuller concludes that Will Howard's chances of becoming the Steelers' franchise quarterback are now a "pipe dream" after his injury.

The Steelers' season begins at the New York Jets on September 7. Kickoff is at 1 pm on CBS.