Steelers Rookie Will Howard Gives Surprising Answer About Who Is The "Lifeblood" Of Pittsburgh's QB Room

The Pittsburgh Steelers waited so long to get the ability to sign quarterback Aaron Rodgers for numerous reasons. Despite the fact that he is notoriously harsh towards his teammates, he is still a big-time motivator and coach on the field, and the play recollections of him in practice have proven it. He has still shown the ability to throw the ball well, outside of one bad outing in Week 10. Overall, the acquisition has not been nearly as bad as many fans and some analysts believed it would end up being. 

Usually, the starting quarterback would be the "lifeblood" of the team and the quarterback room, but that is apparently not the case here. Rookie Will Howard explained who that title truly belongs to. 

Rodgers has been getting all the credit for how he helps everyone out, but apparently Mason Rudolph has been an amazing teammate behind the scenes. Of course, he's not the starter, a controversial player, or a headliner, while Rodgers is. That's why the 41-year-old has been the talk of the town while the backup just does what he can to help the team, even if he doesn't get the recognition for it -- until Week 11, that is. 

At this point, Rudolph is seen as a career backup that can start a game or two if needed. He still has a great deep ball that he can teach to Howard, as well as plenty of practice tips. Rodgers has achieved greatness, but sometimes, you can learn a lot from a man that has not had that kind of success or reached the pinnacle of the NFL. He can still provide plenty of wisdom.

Difference In Steelers' Veteran Quarterbacks

The top two passers in Pittsburgh had very different career paths, so there's a definitely a lot that Howard and other young quarterbacks could learn from both. For one, the Green Bay Packers did everything they could to set up Rodgers for success, while Rudolph wasn't expected to do much until a brutal injury popped up and he had to get thrown into the fire as a reserve. Then he got outcasted for not being ready for the limelight in his second year.

Rudolph spent almost the entire 2023 season limited to just scout team duties, like Howard will be for the foreseeable future. However, and injury to Kenny Pickett and an overall terrible string of games from Mitch Trubisky led to him getting one chance to start. "The Red Zone Reindeer" saved Christmas with a key win, and the team was forced to ride the hot hand and start him the rest of the way. Rodgers never had that experience. 

Once Rodgers finally became the starter in Green Bay, they never looked back. The rest is history. He went on to beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV as a Wild Card, and he went on to win the title of NFL MVP four times. He was seen as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the league, but he also lost all of his reputation thanks to a dysfunctional New York Jets squad.

Both players were cast off for rookie first-round picks. As mentioned, Rudolph was demoted to third string for Pickett, while the Packers traded away Rodgers so they could see what they had in first-round pick Jordan Love. They have both experienced teams telling them that they want to move in a different direction, so they know how to not treat their rookie teammate.

What do you think about Howard's take on Rudolph's presence in the quarterback room? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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