With four quarterbacks on the roster entering training camp, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a tough decision on their hands when it comes to final roster cuts, assuming all four remain healthy.
Will the Steelers move on from second-year pro Will Howard or try to sneak him onto the practice squad? In what is expected to be a redshirt year for rookie third-round pick Drew Allar, what will the plan be for him on the roster?
Then, there’s veteran Mason Rudolph.
He’s the top backup, but looked shaky last season in relief of an injured Aaron Rodgers. With a new coaching staff, he might be the odd man out as the Steelers continue to invest in developing young quarterbacks with an eye toward the future under McCarthy.
For Bleacher Report’s Alex Kay, Rudolph is one of the likeliest cap casualties in the NFL this summer.
“With Rodgers firmly entrenched as the starter for 2026, Pittsburgh appears to have just two backup quarterback spots available and three candidates competing for them.That could leave veteran Mason Rudolph on the outside looking in,” Bleacher Report writes of Rudolph as a potential roster subtraction. “…To Rudolph’s credit, he has been a reliable option when called upon—throwing for 3,395 yards and 21 touchdowns while compiling an 8-5-1 record as Pittsburgh’s starter.
“The Steelers must now decide whether retaining an experienced veteran is worth taking valuable practice reps away from two developmental prospects learning behind Rodgers.”
The biggest question for the Steelers is if they want that experienced backup to Rodgers for the 2026 season, or if they feel comfortable enough entrusting someone like Howard to be the No. 2 despite not taking a single snap in an NFL game to this point, even in the preseason.
With McCarthy at the helm, the Steelers should be leaning on youth at quarterback. If Aaron Rodgers goes down with an injury and misses any extended action, the Steelers will be in trouble regardless. So why not take the opportunity to see what the young quarterbacks can do in that hypothetical situation, rather than trying to stay afloat with Rudolph? He’s a known commodity. He’s 8-5-1 in starts for the Steelers, and while he’s impressed McCarthy to this point, what you see is what you get.
He doesn’t move the needle. Howard and Allar are unknowns with intriguing traits. You can’t risk losing one of those two young quarterbacks in a roster crunch because of Rudolph.
In an ideal scenario, the Steelers find a worthwhile trade late in training camp. Or they could try and get him onto the practice squad, as the Post-Gazette’s Ray Fittipaldo suggested earlier in the week.
But if the decision is to release Rudolph, Kay has an ideal landing spot for the veteran elsewhere.
The Denver Broncos.
“The Steelers might attempt to carry four quarterbacks or explore trade options, but neither outcome seems particularly likely. If no trade materializes, Rudolph might find himself released before Week 1,” Kay added regarding Rudolph. “Should that happen, the Denver Broncos would be a logical landing spot. The Broncos need an upgrade to Jarrett Stidham in the wake of last year’s AFC Championship Game calamity, and Rudolph fits the bill as the ideal QB2 behind Bo Nix.”
Jarrett Stidham had to start in the AFC Championship Game due to Bo Nix’s devastating ankle injury in the divisional round, and it torpedoed the Broncos’ chances at reaching the Super Bowl. With another QB guru head coach in Payton, Rudolph landing in Denver could make some sense.
But based on his comments this offseason, Mason Rudolph doesn’t plan on going anywhere but Pittsburgh, so maybe he’d be open to the practice squad route if it comes to that. We’ll see what happens in training camp. These things tend to sort themselves out on their own.
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