Mason Rudolph
Mason Rudolph
Aaron Rodgers brings a level of experience and knowledge that’s unparalleled, but the Pittsburgh Steelers have another veteran quarterback on the depth chart. Mason Rudolph enters his ninth NFL season and is doing all he can to help out young quarterbacks like Drew Allar.
“Mason’s been great. He’s great for everybody,” Allar told reporters via the Trib’s Chris Adamski. “He’s helped me out a ton. Especially in OTAs when I first got here…asking me a ton of questions to make sure I’m locked in on the gameplan.”
Drew Allar is a big fan of Mason Rudolph
(bonus: they had the same college offensive coordinator, Mike Yurcich) pic.twitter.com/DxLzwpVAsd
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) August 25, 2026
Rudolph has a different journey than Rodgers and can relate to players in a different way. Rudolph has been viewed in every role. He was drafted as the potential franchise heir, then thrown into the fire as a young quarterback tasked to figure it out. He’s been a third-stringer, a spot starter, a savior to lead the Steelers on a 2023 playoff run. There aren’t many situations Rudolph hasn’t experienced, and he can address empathize with any moment.
Allar noted the hidden connection the two have. Though the two didn’t meet until after Allar was drafted, their fathers knew each other and communicated as Allar was deciding on his high school. Mike Yurcich coached Rudolph at Oklahoma State and Allar once he committed to Penn State.
Will Howard and Allar have embraced being coached every step of the way. Pittsburgh has a quality group of coaches and players to develop them. Mike McCarthy has been developing quarterbacks for 30 years. Tom Arth is a quality positional coach and potential future offensive coordinator. Rodgers and Rudolph provide player perspectives.
“I really appreciate everything he’s done,” Allar said. “He’s a great teammate. Great person to be around.”
That alone doesn’t guarantee Howard and Allar will have great careers, but it increases the odds they’ll reach their ceiling. And as Rudolph recently pointed out, it’s a stark contrast to the situation Rudolph walked into early in his career. One without a quarterbacks coach, a despised offensive coordinator, and a franchise quarterback who didn’t seem too fond of him.