**How will the Steelers divide QB reps between Mason Rudolph and Will Howard during OTAs?**
With Aaron Rodgers absent, all eyes are on Mason Rudolph and Will Howard during the Steelers’ OTA practices this week. While Rudolph has ample experience in Pittsburgh, he is new to Arthur Smith’s offensive system. Howard, of course, has no experience, coming in as a sixth-round draft pick.
While Skylar Thompson technically exists, we would be kidding ourselves if we pretended that it wasn’t Mason Rudolph and Will Howard that Steelers fans wanted to hear about. In the absence of Rodgers, this is the duo that offers intrigue at the quarterback position. How they work, how much, and when, will be something people want to know.
Now, by no means am I intimating that there will be some type of competition. The Steelers have never said there will be a competition, and there is no reason to think there will be. But this is OTAs, and historically for the Steelers, that would mean more to a rookie like Howard than a veteran like Rudolph. While Rudolph hasn’t worked with Smith before, he has NFL experience, and has been here for a while now.
Rudolph will, presumably, take virtually all “first-team” reps over Howard, insofar as “first team” means anything in OTAs. These are practices whose function is primarily instructive, after all. But how much work will Howard see relative to Rudolph, given that he needs more, in theory?
At least heading into this week, there doesn’t appear to be any compelling evidence that Aaron Rodgers will sign and participate in OTAs. The Steelers, then, have Rudolph, Howard, and Thompson on hand. That’s more than enough for this time of year, but what will that work look like?
The thing is, we’re not really going to know, from the sounds of it. Based on reactions from beat writers, they seem to expect the Steelers to be more strict about access during OTAs. If that is the case, our updates will have to come from Rudolph and Howard directly, or their teammates. But we’ll have to see—it wouldn’t be the first time reporters threw a fit over something comparatively minor.
_The Steelers are rebuilding, or reloading, whatever they feel the need to call it, after another disappointment last season. Though they limped into the playoffs, they once again embarrassed themselves therein._
_Just like last year, the biggest question hanging over the Steelers is_ [_the quarterback question_](https://steelersdepot.com/2025/04/schrager-thinks-steelers-passing-on-qb-in-1st-round-means-theyre-all-in-on-aaron-rodgers/)_. While they ultimately traded George Pickens, they have other decisions to make. The_ [_2025 NFL Draft class_](https://www.steelers.com/draft/) _is now behind us, so most of the roster construction is complete._
_But we still have a long offseason ahead for Steelers football, or football in shorts. Certain will-he-or-won’t-he situations remain in play, which we continue to monitor. Now it’s about evaluating the roster in place and filling holes as we go._