The Pittsburgh Steelers are nearing the end of the 2026 NFL preseason and still have a lot of questions around how the final 53-man roster will shake out. With Head Coach Mike McCarthy making those decisions for the first time in Pittsburgh, there isn't a clear pattern that we can look back on to see how it will break down.
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Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike McCarthy (left) and quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
The largest and most discussed question around how the final 53-man roster will shake out is around the quarterback position. After drafting Drew Allar in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft and re-signing Aaron Rodgers to be the team's first quarterback to start Week 1 in back to back seasons for the Steelers since 2021, the team has four quarterbacks who all deserve a roster spot.
It is rare in today's NFL to see a team keep four quarterbacks on their roster with how valuable each one of those roster spots is, but the Steelers have hinted that is definitely in consideration many times this offseason. Most of Steeler Nation has come to the point where they believe the best option for the team would be to trade veteran Mason Rudolph and leave both Allar and Will Howard to back up Rodgers for the 2026 season.
Up until this point, however, there has been zero desire expressed from McCarthy or General Manager Omar Khan that they want to let Rudolph go. They both have expressed that they value his experience behind Rodgers. There hasn't been a ton of news around other team's potentially looking into Rudolph as an option either, at least until now.
On a recent appearance on 93.7 The Fan, ESPN New York reporter Jake Asman was discussing the New York Jets quarterback situation and made the claim that the team has checked in on Rudolph's availability.
"I'd suggest Mason Rudolph maybe as an option for the Jets," said Asman on the Jets QB situation. "Just to add a veteran next to Geno Smith and Cade Klubnik. If Geno Smith actually gets hurt, and Aaron Glenn is trying to save his job with a Day 3 drafted rookie quarterback, good luck. I think the Jets could be in the mix to add a veteran quarterback, Rudolph's name has come up."
Sites like offshore sportsbooks give the most up-to-date NFL odds. For the Jets specifically, this would be one of the few reported teams who actually has tossed around Rudolph's name in trade conversations. While the Jets team wouldn't be one expected to add a veteran like Rudolph given the fact that the expectations entering this season are rather low for the team, head coaches like Aaron Glenn who are on the hot seat can look for any avenue to win games and save their job.
For the Jets, they currently have Geno Smith and Cade Klubnik atop their depth chart, and Smith had been nursing a foot/ankle injury for a couple of weeks which has given the team an extended look at Klubnik with the starting offense at times. At one time Klubnik was a highly touted prospect who many believed would be a good NFL starting quarterback, but he fell to the Jets in the fourth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) during 2026 training camp at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Should the Steelers end up trading Rudolph to the Jets, it likely would be for a late Day 3 draft pick in the 2027 or 2028 NFL Drafts, but getting anything in return would be considered a win.
Steelers Could Look To Trade Multiple Players Before Roster Cutdown
The depth across this year's Steelers roster is one of the best it has been in recent years, and that oftentimes leads to hard decisions for the coaches and front office when the team needs to trim the roster before the regular season. Rudolph is a clear trade candidate as mentioned above, however running back Kaleb Johnson is another player that currently doesn't appear to be making the roster, but could net a pick in future drafts as well.
Johnson has seemed to fall to the bottom of the depth chart based on his reps in practice and preseason, and given his draft capital after being selected in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft, other teams would likely be interested in making a play for the young running back.
Let us know your thoughts on X (@matt_papiernik) on potentially sending off Rudolph to the Jets in exchange for a late round pick!
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