THE Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback room has been thrown into turmoil after rookie Will Howard, dubbed Aaron Rodgers’ protege – is tipped for a long stint on the sidelines.
The 23-year-old, who joined the team to eventually take the reins from Rodgers is set to land on injured reserve according to Steelers insider Ray Fittipaldo.
Will Howard has been dubbed Aaron Rodgers’ protege since joining the Steelers[/caption]
He’s suffered an injury that reports say will keep him out of the team for a while[/caption]
Aaron Rodgers is likely to retire after this season[/caption]
Howard, who dazzled in college and was seen as a future starter has been unable to suit up this preseason due to a nagging hand injury.
And with the final 53-man roster deadline looming, Pittsburgh looks poised to sidestep a brutal QB cut by stashing Howard on IR – meaning he’ll be sidelined for at least the first four games of the season.
That leaves the door wide open for Skylar Thompson, the forgotten man under center to complete an unlikely preseason fairytale by locking down the third quarterback slot.
Thompson, 27, arrived quietly in the offseason but has made a racket ever since – torching defenses throughout August and throwing his name into the Steelers’ QB mix in a big way.
In the preseason opener, Thompson was lights out completing 20 of 28 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns and instantly turning heads.
He followed that up with another composed outing, going 10-for-15 with 113 yards and finished his sizzling preseason with a nearly perfect night in Charlotte – 11-of-13 for 152 yards and a score.
It’s forced Pittsburgh into a real conundrum: how do you keep Rodgers, Rudolph, Howard and Thompson happy? The answer –you don’t.
With Rodgers locked in as the starter and Mason Rudolph set as backup, Thompson has simply outplayed Howard, who couldn’t prove his worth due to injury.
A team source told the local media: “Putting Howard on IR solves the numbers game.
“He stays in the building, Thompson gets rewarded and the Steelers don’t risk losing a draft pick.”
Howard, fresh off a college national championship, is simply too valuable to cut especially with Rodgers likely to retire after this season.
But stashing him on the practice squad isn’t an option either, rival teams would snap him up in a heartbeat, leaving Pittsburgh empty-handed.
Barring a surprise trade involving Thompson, the Steelers appear ready to roll into Week 1 with Rodgers, Rudolph, and Thompson active and Howard quietly recovering behind the scenes.
