The Steelers wrapped up their preseason slate on Thursday night with a win over the Panthers. The team escaped Charlotte with a 19-10 win and end the preseason with a 2-1 record.
Much was learned about this Steelers' roster this summer, and several players stood out in preseason play. One of these standouts was quarterback Skylar Thompson. Thompson was added this offseason just to provide depth at the quarterback position, but his excellent play in the preseason could force the team to make a tough decision.
In the preseason opener Thompson stole the show by completing 20 of his 28 passes for 233 yards and three touchdowns. Thompson looked poised and comfortable under center and earned praise for his performance.
In the second preseason game, Thompson was efficient once again, completing 10 of his 15 passes for 113 yards. Finally, against the Panthers, Thompson completed 11 of his 13 attempts for 152 yards and one score.
Thompson's emergence creates a roster crunch for the Steelers. Aaron Rodgers will be the starter and old friend Mason Rudolph will be his backup. Thompson has played well enough to earn the QB3 spot (if there is one), but the team also has to find a spot for rookie Will Howard.
However, Steelers insider Ray Fittipado believes there is a solution to this problem. Fittipado believes the team will place Howard on injured reserve and keep Thompson as QB3.
Howard suffered a hand injury earlier this month and did not see any preseason action as a result. Since Howard couldn't take the field, he wasn't able to prove he belongs ahead of Thompson on the depth chart.
If Fittipado is correct, the Steelers will stash Howard on IR and avoid having to make a decision on cut day. Howard would be able to be activated after four games, or the team could keep him on the list all season.
It's unlikely the team would consider cutting Howard considering a draft pick was just used on him this offseason. 2025 could be Rodgers' only season in Pittsburgh, and the team likely wants to see if Howard can earn the starting job after the future Hall of Famer leaves.
Cutting Howard and hoping to stash him on the practice squad likely isn't a realistic option either. Plenty of teams would be interested in adding a quarterback who just won a championship in college and has the traits to be a decent starter one day.
It's also possible that Thompson could be traded, but that seems unlikely as well. Thompson has some starting experience in the NFL, and it would be nice to keep him around consider Rudolph's struggles in 2024 and Rodgers' advanced age.