Steelers' Will Howard throws 2 preseason picks in first half vs. interception-starved Jets

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected quarterback Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)AP Photo/Justin Berl

The New York Jets didn't pick off a single pass during the 2025 campaign. They became the first NFL team to finish a season without an interception since the league started tracking interceptions as an official statistic in 1933. And they did so in their first year under head coach Aaron Glenn, a former Jets cornerback who piled up 41 interceptions in his professional playing career.

On Friday, though, Glenn's Jets picked off a pair of passes. Granted it's still the preseason, but perhaps that's a good omen for the New York defense.

Those turnovers cost second-year Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard, who's battling rookie Drew Allar for the backup job behind 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers.

Howard got the starting nod, with both Rodgers and Mason Rudolph sitting for the team's second exhibition of the summer. He completed 10-of-15 passes for 74 yards; however, he didn't lead a scoring drive, and he threw those two interceptions.

Andre Cisco in the right place at the right time

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The first took place in the red zone early in the second quarter. Howard, a 2025 sixth-round pick out of Ohio State, was facing a third-and-4 from the Jets' 14-yard line. Safety Andre Cisco read his eyes, pounced on his pass and collected it for a points-saving takeaway.

Earlier that drive, near midfield, Howard demonstrated what he's capable on the money down. That time, he was up against a third-and-8. Yet the 24-year-old stepped up and located wide receiver and special teams standout Ben Skowronek for a 16-yard pickup.

Unfortunately for Howard, his second interception also came on third down. The next drive, he piloted Pittsburgh into New York's half again. That Steelers' series came to a screeching halt at the Jets' 37-yard line. On third-and-5, Jets cornerback Samuel Womack III undercut Howard's pass intended for wideout Roman Wilson.

Samuel Womack III comes up with the INT

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Howard is one of four Steelers quarterbacks on the roster at the moment. Time will tell if Pittsburgh hangs onto all of them.

Last year, coming off a national championship run with the Buckeyes, he didn't play in the preseason because of a fractured pinky finger on his throwing hand. That said, in his preseason debut last week against the Green Bay Packers, Howard impressed. He hit on 7-of-9 attempts through the air for 86 yards and had a touchdown pass pried away after tight end Robert Tonyan was ruled just shy of the plane upon review.

On Friday, Howard was relieved by Allar, a third-round pick from Penn State who began the second half under center for the Steelers against the Jets.

This story is being updated.