Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers isn't mincing words regarding rookie QB Will Howard's poorly-timed training camp injury.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, one day after it was reported that Howard had fractured a small bone in his throwing hand and would miss at least the next three weeks as a result, Rodgers detailed his reaction to the news and the challenge it presents for Howard moving forward.
"It sucks," said the future Hall of Famer, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Sucks for him, for sure, because he's had such a nice camp as a young player. And then watching him at minicamp and just seeing his command of the offense."
That said, "this year is a growth year for him," Rodgers continued, offering up a silver lining. "It's a year to watch and learn and obviously better himself. This will just be a minor setback for him.
"It would've been great to see him get some live reps in the preseason, but I'm not sure when he's gonna be back. Hopefully, he's back in time to take maybe the second or third game. But either way, this is a year for him to grow and learn and get his body the way he wants to get it and get ready to be the guy for a long time."
Watch that below starting at 2:48:
Now, Rodgers is right; this does suck for Howard. The former Ohio State star probably wasn't going to play much this season anyway, but it would have been good for him to get in some playing time, lest he lose his gig next year to a 2026 draftee. And the injury means he'll have to miss Saturday's preseason opener vs. the Jaguars, for which he was expected to take a significant number of snaps.
But although he is surely heartbroken, hopefully, such optimistic words from a veteran QB should help ease the pain. If Rodgers thinks this is just a minor setback, Howard should do everything he can to prove his QB1 right.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as 'It Sucks': Aaron Rodgers Opens Up About Will Howard's Camp Injury.