For several weeks, one of the biggest questions around the Pittsburgh Steelers offense has been who will open the season as the team’s QB3 — Will Howard or Skylar Thompson. The answer to that question was expected to come at the NFL’s roster deadline Tuesday.
However, it didn’t. At least, not really.
Both Thompson and Howard made Pittsburgh’s initial 53-man roster. So, the possibility of the competition continuing is on the table.
The expectation, though, is that competition won’t resume at the beginning of the regular season. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reported Howard will go on injured reserve “at some point” before Week 1.
Dulac originally reported Howard would be placed on injured reserve before the NFL’s roster deadline, which was 4 pm ET Tuesday. That would have given the Steelers an extra roster spot for a player at another position.
But there’s a couple potential benefits to the Steelers waiting to place Howard on IR. Steelers Depot writers explained them on Tuesday.
“Steelers’ plan with Will Howard seems to be keeping him on initial 53, then placing him on IR, and judging IR/return needs late in the season,” wrote Alex Kozora.
Keeping four quarterbacks also leaves open the possibility of a Thompson trade.
“The reasoning for not putting Howard on IR initially could be to allow the team more time to trade Thompson,” Joe Clark wrote. “If they can’t find a trade partner, they could keep him on the roster and place Howard on IR.”
Roster Move Likely Still Coming for Will Howard
The Steelers weren’t expected to keep four quarterbacks. That’s not unusually a move NFL teams do.
Even the Cleveland Browns, who had a very notable four-quarterback competition this summer, didn’t keep four signal-callers Tuesday. The Browns traded Kenny Pickett on Monday night.
But the possibility of Pittsburgh having a fourth quarterback on its first 53-man roster surfaced hours before the roster deadline. The complication the Steelers have with their QB3 spot stems from Howard’s injury and how well Thompson played during the preseason.
Howard fractured the pinky finger in his throwing hand during training camp on August 5. He didn’t play at all during the preseason because of the ailment.
Pundits don’t expect Howard to be ready for Week 1 either. That made him a IR candidate before Tuesday, and that remains the case.
If the Steelers place Howard on IR, then the quarterback will be sidelined for at least the first four weeks. He also won’t be able to practice as long as he’s on IR.
Skylar Thompson Earns Steelers Roster Spot
While Thompson could be Pittsburgh’s QB3 in Week 1 because of Howard’s injury, he also earned the job.
In three preseason games this month, Thompson completed 73.2% of his passes for 498 yards. He also had three touchdowns with one interception.
Thompson also saved arguably his best performance for last. In Week 3 of the exhibition season, he went 11-for-13 with 152 yards. He averaged 11.7 yards per attempt with a touchdown.
“Thompson has earned the right to be the backup to Aaron Rodgers and Mason Rudolph after he finished the preseason with another impressive performance Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers,” wrote Dulac on August 22.
However, Tomlin recently threw a wrench in the Howard-Thompson conversation, suggesting the rookie quarterback could be ready to return soon.
“We’ve increased his level of activity,” Tomlin said of Howard on Monday. “We’ve altered the brace that you mentioned, so he’s moving in the right direction in terms of full participation very soon.”
If Tomlin and the Steelers expect Howard to return “very soon,” then maybe they are simply keeping Thompson to shop him on the trade market. That makes more logical sense than having four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster for Week 1.
But indications in the media are Howard will still need an IR stint to begin his rookie year.
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