Will Howard is trying to do as much as he can without being able to practice or play for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
But as the rookie quarterback recovers from a freak injury to his throwing hand, Howard spoke about trying to control what he can while appearing on the “Downs 2 Business” podcast with Josh Downs and Caleb Downs.
Howard, who the Steelers picked in the sixth round of this April’s draft, was placed on injured reserve and will miss at least the first four games after injuring his hand on a snap from center early in training camp.
The 6-6 quarterback won the national championship while playing with Caleb Downs at Ohio State in January. He is one of four QBs on Pittsburgh’s roster, along with veterans Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson.
How Did Will Howard Injure His Hand?
Howard was doing something he had done presumably thousands of times over the past decade, when his hand shot with pain.
“It was an under-center snap,” Howard said. “[The center] snapped it into my hand, and it jammed my pinkie, and it broke this bone,” pointing to his outside hand.
“The doctors were like, we’ve never seen anything like this before,” Howard said. “I finished that drill and had a couple of plays and went to the next drill, and I couldn’t even grab the football. I was like ‘something is messed up.’”
Howard had thought he jammed his finger, but X-rays revealed the fracture, which cost him all potential game reps — an important factor, since Rodgers was not scheduled to play at all in the preseason.
Unfortunately, according to Howard, it also stunted a great start to his NFL career.
“I felt like I was having a hell of a camp,” Howard said. “I was taking care of the football, making good plays and being smart with it.”
What Is Will Howard Doing While On Injured Reserve?
The hardest part of being injured is being separated from the team, and this is especially true for Howard as a rookie.
Yet, Howard is still trying to be intentional with his time and still help the Steelers even from off the field.
“I’m really trying to do everything I can to still treat it like I’m playing in the game,” Howard said. “That’s what everybody’s told me: don’t just take it as a rest. You’ve got to attack this time.
“We kind of developed a plan for me on IR and what I’m going to do every single week to help with the game plan. What am I going to do physically out on the field — obviously, I can’t practice, but I still got to work out and be in physical shape when I get back.”
Howard seemed uplifted by contributing and also still being around Rodgers, the four-time MVP and 10-time Pro Bowler, who he can learn from.
“They gave me a bunch of projects to do throughout the weeks and make some cut-ups for [Rodgers],” Howard said. “Every time we’re on offense, and [Rodgers] is out there, I’m going to be over there watching him and making sure I get the mental reps because I need to be able to come back and not have skipped a beat.
“In the league, there’s no time to wait.”
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