Steelers Are "Very Open" To A Big Trade That Would Fix Major Roster Dilemma

The Pittsburgh Steelers had one of the more talked-about quarterback situations in the NFL throughout the entire preseason. There was never any question about who the starter would be after Aaron Rodgers signed a new, one-year deal with the franchise, but there were a ton of questions about how the rest of the depth chart would shake out and whether or not the organization would be comfortable keeping four quarterbacks on the active roster. The coaching staff decided that would be the way to go on Sunday as it became official that Pittsburgh would be keeping four quarterbacks heading into September.

Head Coach Mike McCarthy has spoken highly of every quarterback in the room, and the assumed order right now would be Rodgers as the starter with Mason Rudolph as the top backup. Will Howard would be the emergency third-string quarterback, while Drew Allar would likely be inactive on game days. The thought going into training camp was that Howard and Rudolph could be battling it out for a roster spot as Rodgers and Allar were obviously locks to make the final 53.

While both quarterbacks wound up making it, that does not mean the Steelers are going to keep them both throughout the 2026 season. Roster gymnastics would make that extremely difficult, and long-time NFL writer Jason La Canfora knows the Steelers would be open to dealing Rudolph, which he stated in a recent article.

"NFL executives have stated that the Steelers are very open to trading veteran Mason Rudolph," La Canfora wrote. "However, the one thing stopping this is not Pittsburgh’s willingness to sell, it’s the number of quarterbacks potentially available across the league which could make finding a deal more difficult."

The Steelers are not attached to Rudolph, which is something many fans believe. The front office is willing to trade him for the right offer, but it is going to be hard to get that offer with many other quarterbacks available across the NFL. One quarterback in particular that could make things hard is Tanner McKee of the Philadelphia Eagles. He has shown good things over the last two or three years, and quarterback-needy teams may be interested in him over Rudolph.

It was reported after cutdowns that Rudolph was the quarterback on the roster that had to prove himself to the new coaching staff in order to keep his job. Howard and Allar were seemingly never in danger, and Rudolph was able to prove that he belonged on this version of the Steelers. He still is the quarterback that would hold the most trade value due to his experience, so he can be moved. The only problem is other quarterbacks in the league.

The Eagles kept four quarterbacks as well which shows they are open to trading McKee as he enters a contract year. The Cleveland Browns also kept four quarterbacks technically, even though Dillon Gabriel is currently on injured reserve (IR). That may suggest that Shedeur Sanders could be dealt, or even Gabriel once he is taken off of IR. The Minnesota Vikings also kept four quarterbacks, and it is thought that they would be willing to move on from former first-round pick JJ McCarthy.

Steelers Can Run Into Roster Problems With Four Quarterbacks

Keeping four quarterbacks isn't necessarily rare, but it isn't normal either. It creates problems when it comes to shaping the rest of the roster, especially once injuries start to pile up as the season gets under way. There might be an injury that pops up that doesn't necessarily require an IR placement, but the team may want to be able to sign a free agent to fill the gap. The fourth quarterback on the roster might make a move like that a bit difficult. The same can be said about bringing in players at the trade deadline.

What do you think about Pittsburgh potentially trading Rudolph? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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