Steelers Legend Ben Roethlisberger Calls For Ruthless Mason Rudolph Move After Will Howard's Latest Update

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered their 2026 preseason opener with four quarterbacks and only three realistic spots available on the final roster. Aaron Rodgers remains the unquestioned starter for one last season, but the competition behind him became significantly more interesting during Pittsburgh's 28-9 victory over the Green Bay Packers.

Mason Rudolph started the game and completed 10 of his 11 attempts for 93 yards. Will Howard followed by completing seven of nine passes for 86 yards during his first NFL game. Howard did not produce the explosive numbers that Drew Allar did, but he showed enough poise, accuracy and command to strengthen his case for the QB2 job.

Howard's performance captured the attention of Ben Roethlisberger, who already advocated for Pittsburgh to prioritize its younger quarterbacks over Rudolph earlier in the offseason. While speaking on his Footbahlin podcast Friday night, Roethlisberger argued that Howard did more than simply play well enough to remain in the conversation.

"[Howard] obviously didn't disappoint," Roethlisberger said. "To me, what happened with Will Howard is he more than put his name in the hat, hat in the ring, whatever you want to say, for QB2. More than just saying, 'I'm here. I'm standing here. Y'all need to consider me with Mason.'"

Roethlisberger's comments are especially explosive because of his complicated history with Rudolph. The two have offered differing perspectives regarding their relationship after Pittsburgh selected Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. It has always been clear that they were never particularly close.

That history will understandably cause some fans to question Roethlisberger's motivation. However, his latest assessment appears to be based on football instead of anything personal. Howard took advantage of his limited opportunity and gave Pittsburgh a legitimate reason to increase his workload.

Roethlisberger believes the Steelers should take second-team repetitions away from Rudolph and give them to Howard. He would even place Howard with the starters to evaluate how the young quarterback performs alongside better players and against a stronger defense.

"That's what I feel. Again, very small sample size," Roethlisberger said. "Mason has like nine years, maybe. That's a big sample size. You know, certain plays here and there, but Will Howard made me say, as a coach, if I put my coach, GM or owner hat on, he needs more reps. Get him more reps with the twos and get him more reps with the ones... I would take some reps away from Mason to see what Will Howard can do."

Head Coach Mike McCarthy currently has Rudolph listed second on Pittsburgh's official depth chart, followed by Howard and Allar. Rudolph's experience makes that order understandable, especially with a 42-year-old starting quarterback. The Steelers know Rudolph can enter a game and operate an NFL offense without becoming overwhelmed.

However, Pittsburgh has now spent more than seven seasons evaluating Rudolph. He has received multiple opportunities to prove he can become more than a dependable backup, but the organization should already understand his ceiling. The beginning of the McCarthy era provides the perfect opportunity to get younger and clean house behind Rodgers.

Steelers Must Discover What Will Howard Can Handle

Pittsburgh will not learn anything meaningful by continuing to place Howard behind developmental players while Rudolph receives every important backup repetition. Howard needs opportunities with the second-team offense, where the execution and surrounding talent should provide a more accurate evaluation.

Giving Howard several first-team repetitions would be even more valuable. Practicing alongside Pittsburgh's best offensive players would force him to process the offense at a higher level while facing Patrick Graham's starting defense. If Howard struggles, the Steelers can comfortably return to Rudolph. If he succeeds, McCarthy may have a genuine QB2 competition. Roethlisberger is not demanding that Pittsburgh immediately hand Howard the backup job. He is arguing that Howard earned access to the opportunities required to win it. 

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