Insider: Steelers' Mason Rudolph "Got P***ed Off" After He Was Absolutely Ignored

The Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves with a very crowded quarterback room ahead of the 2026 NFL season. The team has two young, developmental pieces in 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2026 third-rounder Drew Allar. They still have veteran backup Mason Rudolph as well. The three will battle for positioning on the depth chart. Rudolph has the only NFL snaps among the three; he could have the edge. However, he has been surrounded by rumors throughout the offseason pertaining to him being a possible cut or trade candidate. The odds could be stacked against him, as the franchise looks to inject youth in a quarterback room that has lacked continuity since Ben Roethlisberger. 

Not to mention, 2025 starter Aaron Rodgers has been rumored to meet with the Steelers, potentially for contract negotiations. If or when Rodgers signs, this would leave the Steelers with four signal-callers on the roster -- leaving at least one of them as the odd man out. Rudolph's veteran presence makes him a solid choice to stay, but developing two young arms could be the direction the team goes, and the competition seems to already be starting. Especially after Howard received a nod of confidence from coaches and teammates this offseason. 

One of these players who seemed confident in Howard is Steelers star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward. He appeared on The Rich Eisen Show before the NFL Draft, where he was interviewed by host Rich Eisen. On the show, he expressed that he likes what he sees from Howard. On a recent episode of the show, Eisen and his crew were talking about the Steelers' quarterback situation, where Eisen revealed that Rudolph was angered by the Howard talk on the show. 

"With all due respect to the kids that they got there and Mason Rudolph, who apparently got pissed off when Cam Heyward was only talking about Will Howard, because I only asked him about Will Howard, when he came on the program the week before the draft," Eisen said. 

This revelation proves that Rudolph wants his respect from the media and fellow players when it comes to his role on the team. Rudolph has been a part of the Steelers organization on and off for five seasons. Even leading the Black and Gold to the playoffs in 2023 and starting eight games as a rookie in 2019. He has been a consistent backup for Pittsburgh and would be the safest option as the team's number two if Rodgers were to get hurt. 

The emergence of the two young quarterbacks could threaten Rudolph's job, though. It seems as though the organization is intrigued by some of the traits that Howard and Allar have. The front office just spent a third-round pick on Allar, so he'll be on the roster. With the way that Howard has been talked about all offseason, it sounds like he's in the Steelers' plans at the position. 

The Steelers Have Some Tough Decisions At Quarterback

As mentioned before, Allar and Howard have zero combined NFL snaps, including the preseason. If Rodgers is the quarterback in 2026 (signs are pointing in that direction), then if he were to go down, there is no experience behind him beyond Rudolph. If Pittsburgh wants to remain competitive in 2026, they'll need a backup option in case of injury. That's where Rudolph would be the clear option. He has proven to be able to win with the Steelers in relief. With Pittsburgh, he is 8-5-1.

Unless the organization is content with a sixth-round pick or a rookie at the helm, it feels like Rudolph is the safest option. However, depending on how coaches evaluate the young arms, it could spell the end for Rudolph in the Steel City, even if he has the most experience. 

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