Ben Roethlisberger Gets Strong Defense From Steelers Beat Writer About Mason Rudolph: "Probably Right"

Some Pittsburgh Steelers fans out there probably feel at least a little bit bad for veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph. He has played all but one of his professional seasons for the organization, and a new coaching staff in 2026 could show him the door rather quickly. This would allow both Will Howard and Drew Allar to have the maximum amount of practice reps possible as second- and third-string signal-callers, respectively. This will be one of the storylines of training camp as no one is quite sure who will slip into the direct spot behind Aaron Rodgers in the event that there is some kind of injury.

It's extremely fair for the Steelers to want to see more of both Howard and Allar given the fact that Rodgers is only playing on a one-year deal and Rudolph's contract also expires after the 2026 campaign. The team has to get some kind of idea regarding the two youngsters and if one, or both, are capable of performing at a high level in the NFL. If not, the 2027 NFL Draft should be a perfect time to select someone in the first round.

Recently, legendary and future Hall of Fame quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was very adamant that Pittsburgh should move on from Rudolph. He believes that trading him to another franchise that maybe has a preseason injury could be worthwhile. It's fascinating to hear that from a former player when he is talking about his old teammate, but it makes sense.

When appearing on 93.7 The Fan on Thursday evening, beat writer Ray Fittipaldo was asked by Chris Mueller if the two-time Super Bowl champion was on point with his comments. The reporter immediately stood up for Roethlisberger and noted that everything he said had merit.

"I think that's some smart GM-ing by Roethlisberger," Fittipaldo said. "I think, you know, you call Howard's situation tenuous, I'm a little bit more in the corner where I think he's, I'm not going to say a shoe-in to make the roster, but you know Chris, he was the number two quarterback in the spring. It would be a very steep fall for him to go from the backup in the spring to off the roster, you know, in what, three to four, five weeks time."

When all is said and done, Fittipaldo doesn't see an avenue for the Steelers to keep Rudolph around unless the coaching staff is comfortable with Allar being shelved for several weeks with what some may call a "phantom" injury.

"I think in the end Ben's probably right," Fittipaldo noted. "It's going to be Mason Rudolph is dealt or is cut or you come up with an injury to Drew Allar and kind of redshirt him like they've done in the past with so many of their draft picks in recent history."

If the Steelers truly are all-in for the 2026 campaign, it is a bit of a risk to have Howard as a direct backup — someone who has never taken a professional snap. That's why an Injured Reserve (IR) stint for Allar could make sense at the end of the day.

The good news is that Pittsburgh has options and exhibition contests to work through things. It doesn't make sense to cut or trade anyone too early. Howard could look far from impressive in early-August, which could then allow the coaching staff to let Rudolph handle some second-team reps. However, the Steelers aren't going to give up on the former sixth-round pick too quickly.

Steelers' First Priority Will Be Keeping Rodgers Healthy

Normally entering a training camp, teams are answering questions about a potential starting quarterback battle. In Pittsburgh, however, it will be about whoever is going to be second-in-line. That is a unique twist and should be a fascinating storyline to follow. Overall, the consensus is starting to come together. Both Roethlisberger and Fittipaldo are under the impression that the Steelers want to focus on the young guys, and allow Rudolph to continue his NFL journey elsewhere.

#SteelerNation