Crushing Steelers training camp injury cracks door for motivated underdog

The Pittsburgh Steelers are knee-deep in one of the most crucial stretches of their offseason, grinding it out under the summer sun at St. Vincent College in Latrobe.

With a mix of All-Pro talent and determined veterans crowding the roster, the team is laser-focused on turning these early weeks into the foundation of a championship campaign. But as always in football, the road to greatness is paved with both effort and adversity.

Unfortunately, adversity came knocking this week. 

Rookie quarterback Will Howard suffered a broken finger in his throwing hand, an injury that will keep him out for at least three weeks. It’s a gut punch—not just for Howard, but for Steelers fans who were eager to see what the promising sixth-round pick could bring in his first NFL preseason.

This was supposed to be Howard’s moment. With Aaron Rodgers expected to handle starting duties for just this season, Howard’s preseason reps were going to be gold.

Each snap is a chance to learn, lead, and plant a flag for the future. Now, that opportunity is paused, and his early momentum is at risk of being lost before it even begins.

But football doesn’t wait. And while one door closes, another quietly swings open.

Enter Skylar Thompson.

Will Howard's injury sets a perfect stage for Skylar Thompson to impress the Pittsburgh Steelers

The third-year quarterback out of Kansas State has had a modest NFL start. Ten games, 721 passing yards, a single touchdown, and a 1-2 record to show for it. Not the flashiest resume, but Thompson’s game isn’t built on flash—it’s built on preparation, quiet confidence, and persistence.

"I've been preparing this whole time as if I am the guy getting the rep,” Thompson told the media following news of Howard’s injury. “So nothing is really going to change except for me actually getting them now."

Something is refreshing about that attitude. Thompson isn’t claiming a throne or demanding attention. He’s just getting ready to work. And honestly, in the chaotic world of preseason quarterback battles, that grounded mindset might be exactly what Pittsburgh needs right now.

READ MORE: Aaron Rodgers can’t ignore what’s happening at Steelers training camp

Still, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t worried about Will Howard. 

This preseason was his to win. He didn’t need to set the world on fire—just show poise, development, and maybe flash the arm talent that made him a college standout. Now, those chances are slipping through his fingers—literally.

It’s a tough break, but this is the NFL. You get knocked down, you get up again. Howard’s task now is to rehab with the same intensity he brought to camp and find a way to grow even while watching from the sidelines.

As for Thompson, the next few weeks are massive. 

He may not be expected to light it up, but this is a chance to write a new chapter in his NFL story. Preseason football may not count in the standings, but for guys like Skylar Thompson, it can define a career.

And that’s worth watching.