LATROBE, Pa. -- Steelers rookie quarterback Will Howard sustained an injury to his throwing hand during Tuesday's practice, coach Mike Tomlin said.
Howard, a sixth-round pick, is believed to have injured his hand on a center-quarterback exchange and will be further evaluated.
"I think it was a CQ exchange," Tomlin said. "But I didn't have direct eyes on it, so I'm speculating."
Tomlin added that TE Jonnu Smith left practice early with knee soreness, but it appears to be "less significant," and OLB Alex Highsmith missed practice with a groin injury sustained Sunday that will keep him out "a couple days at least."
Howard was listed as the team's third-string quarterback over former Miami Dolphins seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson on the first depth chart released prior to Tuesday's practice. Howard, an Ohio State product, was in line to play significant snaps in Saturday's preseason opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Howard whipped a pass to wide receiver Brandon Johnson for a touchdown during the team's short-yardage Seven Shots period to open practice, and during the first team period, he rolled out and found tight end JJ Galbreath for a completion.
Howard, though, didn't participate in any additional team periods after the first one and left practice early. In his place, Thompson took third-string reps, including a practice-ending two-minute drill that ended with running back Kenneth Gainwell dropping a pass in the end zone on fourth down.
Howard has been a fan favorite in his first training camp, often eliciting loud cheers when he completes a pass.
"I'm just trying to go out there and execute," Howard said earlier in camp. "I genuinely did not know [the cheers] were for me. I thought it was like Joey Porter did something on the sideline or Troy [Polamalu] or something. That's cool.
"... I feel like I've been received really well from the fans. I'm really thankful to be here, a part of Steeler Nation. It feels like it's like split 50-50 between Buckeye fans and Penn State fans. But it's fun, it's awesome."
