Steelers' Drew Allar Sheds Light On How Great Of A Teammate Mason Rudolph Truly Is

The Pittsburgh Steelers' biggest priority for the next few years is making sure some young quarterback can pass Mike McCarthy's quarterback school and become the franchise player that they have desperately needed for years. Preferably, either Will Howard or Drew Allar can step up and be that guy, so the organization can stop having to address that position with questionable draft picks and over-the-hill veterans every single year. Even if either one of those players is the future, it may be a while until they reach their full potential. 

One thing that the Steelers have had with this group of quarterbacks is structure and accountability, especially for the young guys. There is no shortage of people on the team -- coaches or veteran quarterbacks -- that are willing and able to help out in whatever way is needed. McCarthy focuses on the fundamentals while the older players help with the smaller details. 

There has been plenty of help, and the young guys have voiced their appreciation repeatedly. In a post-practice press conference, Allar spoke glowingly about a mentor that has not gotten a lot of recognition for his contributions in that regard: Mason Rudolph. 

"Mason [Rudolph's] been great for everybody," Allar said. "He's helped me out a ton as well too, especially in OTAs when I first got here and even through training camp and games, like giving me reminders and things to be looking for, asking me a ton of questions to make sure I'm locked in on the gameplan, so I really appreciate everything he's done. He's a great teammate, great person to be around, definitely one of the funnier guys on the team, so it's definitely fun to be around him in general."

Aaron Rodgers has gotten most of the credit for mentoring the younger quarterbacks, but it's easy to forget that Rudolph is also an experienced veteran who has seen and done quite a bit while he also goes through McCarthy's QB School. The 31-year-old has spoken a lot about how he never had any help when he first entered the league, and he doesn't want to be like his predecessor. 

In the preseason, Rudolph has done a lot of mentoring from the sideline, and that is expected to be the case again in the finale. Allar made sure to note that he's been good to everyone, so it's safe to say that he is doing all the same things to Howard as he is to the rookie. With how important the quarterback position is, it's never a bad idea to have multiple perspectives on how the game is played. 

The going theory floating around is that the Steelers will keep all four quarterbacks on the 53-man roster, and Allar's statement only drives that point further. Rudolph's mentorship could help these young passers take that next step forward, and there is a lot of excitement within the organization about how both of them have developed so far, so they don't want to lose any of them.

Steelers May End Up Giving Rudolph A New Deal In 2027

Rodgers previously confirmed that 2026 will be his last season. Rudolph is also a free agent and is widely expected to leave afterwards. However, losing two mentors and making both quarterbacks take things from there could be challenging. To help keep some familiarity in the position group, the veteran backup might be brought back to continue to work with both of them as they try to take that next step forward.

Re-signing Rudolph does not automatically mean that he will be the starter. There will definitely be a competition among all three if he is brought back, but it would be one where they all still try to help each other. It wouldn't be the worst idea to have someone who knows how Howard and Allar operate to be on the roster whether he's a starter or even the emergency backup.

What do you think about Allar's praise of Rudolph? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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