![\"Rookie](\"https:\/\/news2.watchtowatch.top\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/GettyImages-2231378008.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Unless something goes wrong for the\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0the rest of the 2025 season, rookie quarterback\u00a0Will Howard\u00a0will not play. While he will make his debut on the team\u2019s active roster during Week 11, Howard is the QB3.<\/p>\n
The 2025 sixth-rounder will only see the field if the Steelers experience multiple quarterback injuries.<\/p>\n
But Howard still found being included on\u00a0the team\u2019s active roster\u00a0for the rest of 2025 vital for his future. The rookie quarterback expressed his thanks to the organization for the opportunity while speaking to reporters Thursday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a blessing,\u201d Howard said,\u00a0via TribLive.com\u2019s Chris Adamski.\u00a0\u201cI\u2019m really thankful that they made the decision to \u2026 activate me because \u2026 we have (starting QB Aaron Rodgers), so it\u2019s not necessarily like I\u2019m coming up to play (in a game) but it\u2019s more for my growth and development.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat means a lot that they were willing to do that for me, and I just don\u2019t want to make them regret it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Four-time MVP\u00a0Aaron Rodgers\u00a0has started the first nine games this season for the Steelers. Fellow veteran\u00a0Mason Rudolph\u00a0has served as his backup.<\/p>\n
Howard will be in uniform as the team\u2019s QB3 on Sunday against the\u00a0Cincinnati Bengals.<\/p>\n
Howard returned to practice on October 22, with the Steelers opening his 21-day practice window.<\/p>\n
The team could have allowed his 21-day window to pass without activating him. Doing that would have enabled the Steelers to keep additional depth at another position.<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s future value in Howard practicing for the rest of 2025. That\u2019s obviously what the quarterback preferred, and the Steelers agreed. The team officially activated the rookie Wednesday.<\/p>\n
Howard expressed that he recognizes he likely won\u2019t play this season. But that makes the opportunities he receives in practice all that more important.<\/p>\n
\u201cWednesday, Thursday, Friday are my game days, so I\u2019m out there trying to make every rep as competitive and as real as possible,\u201d Howard said,\u00a0via Adamski. \u201cI think I\u2019ve done a pretty good job of it so far, but I\u2019ve just got to keep it going. It\u2019s a day-by-day process. I know Rome\u2019s not going to be built in a day, but just if I can get a little bit better every single day, that\u2019s all that matters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Over the spring and summer, Howard addressed how valuable it was for him to develop behind Rodgers. Some pundits questioned what kind of mentor Rodgers might be, but Howard has told reporters on multiple occasions that\u00a0Rodgers has been great to him.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Adamski posted on X that Howard is documenting as much knowledge from Rodgers as possible.<\/p>\n
\u201cWill Howard says he has a Word document in which he records any thoughts or\u00a0nuggets\u00a0or advice that Aaron Rodgers offers him this season,\u201d\u00a0wrote Adamski.<\/p>\n
The Steelers drafted Howard at No. 185 overall in the sixth round of\u00a0the 2025 NFL Draft. After starting his career at Kansas State, Howard transferred to Ohio State, where he won the national championship during his final college season.<\/p>\n
The quarterback led\u00a0the Big Ten with a 73% completion percentage, 4,010 passing yards and 35 touchdowns while taking Ohio State to a 14-2 record last year.<\/p>\n
Howard missed the 2025 preseason and spent the first 10 weeks of the regular season on IR because of a hand injury.<\/p>\n
Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving could play for the first time in six weeks Sunday.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0Tampa Bay Buccaneers\u00a0seem to be getting two crucial offensive weapons back and not a moment too soon.<\/p>\n
Running back Bucky Irving and wide receiver Chris Godwin each returned to practice, putting them in line to return for the Bucs\u2019 upcoming potential Super Bowl preview against the\u00a0Buffalo Bills\u00a0on Sunday.<\/p>\n
The Buccaneers (6-3) have lost two of three and are averaging just 18.3 points per game in that span. They managed just 258 yards of total offense in their 28-23 home loss to the\u00a0New England Patriots\u00a0on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Godwin has played two games while recovering from his catastrophic broken ankle last season and also while dealing with a fibula injury. He hasn\u2019t played since the Bucs\u2019 38-35 win over the\u00a0Seattle Seahawks\u00a0on Oct. 5 and has just six catches for 52 yards this year.<\/p>\n
The Bucs still lead the NFC South by 1.5 games over the\u00a0Carolina Panthers.<\/p>\n
Irving (foot\/shoulder) has not played since Tampa Bay\u2019s 31-25 loss to the\u00a0Philadelphia Eagles\u00a0on Sept. 28 but was the first to come back to practice Wednesday.<\/p>\n
The fact he is getting close is great news for the Bucs, since Irving is still third on the team in all-purpose yards (430) even though he\u2019s missed the past five games.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was good to have him back out there, and it\u2019s the first step to work his way back,\u201d Bowles said. \u201cHe\u2019s going to have to take a hit at some point. I mean, he\u2019s lifting and everything, he\u2019s running, but it\u2019s a progression and we\u2019ll see how he does.<\/p>\n
Rachaad White has been filling in as Tampa Bay\u2019s RB1 while Irving has been out, and Tampa Bay has averaged just 80.4 rushing-yards per game over the past five. The Bucs had averaged 124 ground yards per game before Irving\u2019s injury, with the second-year back accounting for a team-high 59.3 rushing yards per game.<\/p>\n
Staying balanced is integral to Tampa Bay\u2019s success, especially while playing against the\u00a0Bills. Buffalo ranks 30th in the\u00a0NFL\u00a0in run defense (147.6 rushing-yards against per game), and it just was gashed for 197 rushing yards in its 30-13 loss to the\u00a0Miami Dolphins\u00a0on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Godwin is a trickier injury due to the nature of his injury, though Bucs coach Todd Bowles did address Godwin\u2019s ailment Wednesday.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the fibula,\u201d Bowles said, according to Joe Bucs Fan. \u201cHe\u2019s working his way back. He\u2019s making good strides and we\u2019ll continue to work with him and see how he goes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s running, yes. He\u2019s definitely running. \u2026 I wish I could tell you [if it is a pain tolerance issue]. I really do.\u201d<\/p>\n
That Godwin was back at practice, and earned a limited distinction, is a good sign based on what Jeremy Fowler reported earlier this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Bucs are hopeful Godwin will be ready for the stretch run, ensuring he has no setbacks,\u201d Fowler reported, while stating the ninth-year wideout would not play in Buffalo. \u201cThere\u2019s some level of mystery surrounding this one, but the team is being careful with him and will see how he responds over the next few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Unless something goes wrong for the\u00a0Pittsburgh Steelers\u00a0the rest of the 2025 season, rookie quarterback\u00a0Will Howard\u00a0will not play. While he will make his debut on the team\u2019s active roster during Week 11, Howard…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7672,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7673","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-breaking-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t