Secret History Between Steelers' Mike McCarthy And Mason Rudolph Revealed

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the more complicated franchises in the NFL when it comes to the team's current quarterback situation. The organization is going to have two developmental quarterbacks on the roster in Will Howard and Drew Allar, while Mason Rudolph is currently the only seasoned veteran under contract for the 2026 season that has starting experience. Aaron Rodgers is expected to return for the season, but it is hard to tell what the veteran is ever going to do. He could still retire if he wanted to, which is absolutely on the table considering he has not announced any plans for his future and it is now the end of April.

Howard was Pittsburgh's sixth-round pick in 2025, and Allar was selected in the third round in 2026. There has been a ton of hype and excitement surrounding Howard, but it was always known that the Steelers were doing their homework on the 2026 quarterback class. Allar joins the room, and if Rodgers returns, one of those four players won't be on the roster in 2026. The two safest names would be Rodgers and Allar, while Howard or Rudolph could be on the chopping block. If Howard performs well in camp and on the field in the preseason, he is going to make the roster. If he struggles, the franchise might opt to stick with the experienced veteran backup in Rudolph.

Head Coach Mike McCarthy was asked about his quarterback situation during a recent interview with 105.9 The X, and he spoke about how he wishes he could keep four quarterbacks. He also touched on Rudolph, who many fans have assumed is going to be gone before the start of the 2026 season.

"Great question. Ideally, you'd love to keep four because of who the four would be," McCarthy said. "I've enjoyed working with Mason. I've always, you know I've always liked him from afar. I remember during my time in Dallas when he became available from Pittsburgh when he went down to Tennessee, he was definitely -- we had a lot of interest in him. Broke him down, and I remember him coming out of college. Been real impressed with him, particularly how he spins the ball. Our month together here has been awesome."

Rudolph is often considered to be the odd man out if Rodgers were to return, and that is a fair assumption. There is a world where Pittsburgh would want to keep him due to his experience, but developing young quarterbacks should be more of a priority for the franchise. Rudolph could probably fetch a decent late-round pick due to his time in the league already, so it could be worth trading him.

McCarthy revealed that he and Rudolph almost teamed up during the 2024 offseason. This was right after Rudolph started to end the 2023 season and he led the Steelers to the postseason. McCarthy was with the Dallas Cowboys, and he revealed that the franchise did its homework on Rudolph to potentially bring him in. Dak Prescott was obviously the starter, but Rudolph would have been a reliable backup for the Cowboys.

The head coach also mentioned that he remembered Rudolph coming out of Oklahoma State back in 2018. This was when the coach was with the Green Bay Packers, and the Packers are always trying to be one step ahead in their quarterback room. There is a chance that McCarthy and others in Green Bay saw Rudolph as a potential successor to Rodgers, but Jordan Love ended up with that role after being drafted in 2020, two years after McCarthy was let go by the franchise.

Steelers Fans Would Riot If The Organization Sided With Mason Rudolph

If Rodgers does return and Rudolph makes the roster over Howard, the fan base would be livid. It would be understandable from a football perspective since Rudolph has actual experience in the league, but he does not have the potential of Howard. 

Rudolph has already shown what he can be in this league, and Howard has yet to have the chance to. 

What do you think about these comments from McCarthy? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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