Editor’s note: From now until reporting day to training camp at Saint Vincent College, TribLive is running through the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 90-man roster, looking at each player and assessing his outlook for the 2026 season. The breakdown will run in alphabetical order with two players each day between June 13 and July 28. Contract data courtesy spotrac.com.
QB MASON RUDOLPH
Experience/age: ninth season, 31
Contract status: $4.62 million cap hit in 2026, scheduled to become unrestricted free agent in 2027
The past: Rudolph was called on twice last season to replace an injured Aaron Rodgers. He subbed in during a Week 11 win over the Bengals and passed for 127 yards and a touchdown. With Rodgers sidelined by a non-throwing wrist fracture, Rudolph got the start a week later and passed for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception in a loss at Chicago. His record as a Steelers starter is 8-5-1.
In all, Rudolph has played 34 career games, including eight for the Titans in 2024. After one year away from Pittsburgh, the 6-foot-5, 235-pounder returned as a free agent in March 2025, three months before the Steelers signed Rodgers. The two quarterbacks seemed to form a tight bond in their first year together, with Rodgers crediting Rudolph for adding “fun” to his daily experience. Over his career, Rudolph has passed for 4,925 yards, 30 touchdowns and 22 interceptions. He has completed 64.4% of his passes. His best statistical season came in 2019 when he stepped in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger. Rudolph played 10 games with eight starts and passed for 1,765 yards and 13 touchdowns.
2026 outlook: This isn’t the first time Rudolph has found himself in a QB competition. With Rodgers as the returning starter, the backup roles are left to Rudolph, second-year pro Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar. The unanswered questions are: How many QBs will the Steelers keep and will Rudolph finish camp ahead of Howard on the depth chart?
Rudolph’s pro experience offers value, particularly behind an aging starter who’ll turn 43 in December. Rudolph is the other QB on the roster besides Rodgers who has played in an NFL game — regular season or preseason. Coach Mike McCarthy has toyed with the idea of keeping all four quarterbacks on the roster, but that’ll be a decision for later in training camp.
Rudolph has ceded snaps to his younger teammates, especially Howard, during offseason workouts, an arrangement the veteran said he understood. However, Rudolph also made clear this spring that he intended to keep his job as the backup quarterback.