The Pittsburgh Steelers have what is probably the team's best quarterback situation in years currently. The group of four players has a good mixture of everything a franchise may need. There is the clear-cut starter that is on his way out of the sport in Aaron Rodgers. There are multiple young, developmental players for him to mentor in Will Howard and Drew Allar. The fourth piece of the room is an experienced veteran that can jump in and start a few games if he is needed to, and that is Mason Rudolph. The veteran is entering his eighth season with the organization, and he is very familiar with the spot he is currently in.
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Steelers quarterbacks Drew Allar (left) and Mason Rudolph (right) chop it up during Organized Team Activities (OTAs) in 2026.
Rudolph seems to be the front-runner to be the primary backup to Rodgers for the 2026 season, but that is all going to depend on how the quarterbacks play during the preseason games. Rudolph has been in every situation imaginable in Pittsburgh. He has been buried in the depth chart, he has started a playoff game, he has been benched, he has experienced nearly every type of situation a quarterback in the NFL can imagine. In 2023 it looked like his time with the Steelers was coming to a close as he was buried behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky in the quarterback room, and he was the third-string quarterback entering the year.
The veteran spoke to the media on Monday, and he was asked about his current situation as he is competing with younger guys to be the backup to Rodgers. This made him speak on his situation in 2023 and the perspective that gave him, while also causing some frustration.
"Different, but also not," Rudolph said of his current opportunity. "This is the time of the year where the depth chart is most talked about, and that comes with the territory. All you can do is make the most of each of your reps. I remember there was a time in 2023 where I came back and Mitch and Kenny were getting just about every rep. I think I took one pass in the spring of '23 and I was frustrated. I was down. I know I'm better than just getting one rep, but I think I had to change my mentality that year. That year it worked out for me and I extended my career."
To provide some context, the 2023 offseason was leading into the first year that Pickett was going to be the unquestioned starter. He was a former first-round pick, and Trubisky was his backup, so that left Rudolph in a tough spot. He didn't get much action in the spring or during training camp, but he wound up being important down the stretch of the regular season.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers QB Mason Rudolph runs for a first down as he attempts to keep his team in the game vs. the Buffalo Bills
Pickett went down in Week 13 with an ankle injury that required a minor surgery, and Trubisky filled in for him for the rest of the matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. Trubisky then started the next two games and went 0-2 and did not play well, which led to Rudolph getting the nod for the rest of the year. He went 3-0 in the regular season to clinch a spot in the playoffs for the Steelers, and he wound up starting the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. For a short stretch of time in Pittsburgh, he was a complete hero.
Steelers' Mason Rudolph Now Sees Many Fans Rooting Against Him
Rudolph was a hero at the end of the year in 2023, but now many fans are rooting for Howard and Allar over Rudolph. If the franchise decides to keep just three quarterbacks on the final roster, many have been hoping that Rudolph would be the odd man out. It doesn't seem like that is how things would go if that decision were made today.
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