Steelers Given Effective Way To Keep Mason Rudolph On The Roster

The Pittsburgh Steelers are undergoing a period of transition. While still resisting a rebuild, through a new head coach and staff, the Black and Gold are combining vets and young players in hopes of remaining competitive. Pittsburgh now has its first offensive-minded head coach in decades, as the team hopes to move in a new direction, while still upholding the standard: winning. Head Coach Mike McCarthy has led the team through some of the year's first offseason activities, and the culture change is evident. 

With a subtle youth movement, the Steelers drafted a project quarterback in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft, Drew Allar. With that pick, there's a huge choice in the future: will the team keep four quarterbacks on the roster this season? It will be pretty difficult to do that. The likely choice is between keeping two young players in Allar and Will Howard, or will veteran backup Mason Rudolph hold down his roster spot? The Steelers may value Rudolph's experience over the other option, being two backup signal-callers with zero NFL snaps to their names. 

If the Steelers brass really did want to keep four, though, there is a way of doing so. One of them would have to go to the practice squad. While Allar would be safe because of his third-round pick status, Howard or Rudolph could find themselves there. On a recent segment during 93.7 The Fan, Steelers insider Mark Kaboly and former NFL pass catcher Dorin Dickerson discussed Rudolph's status for the upcoming season. 

"Do you cut Mason [Rudolph] or do you trade him? I would imagine you cut him before you trade him," Kaboly said. 

There have been rumors of the Steelers potentially moving on from the vet, but Dickerson suggested a unique way of keeping him. 

"Or try to get him on the practice squad, just in case something happens. If they gave him his full salary, they've done it in the past; there have been guys who have been on the practice squad with their full pay," Dickerson said. 

The idea of stashing Rudolph on the practice squad makes sense from a roster construction standpoint. The organization wants their young quarterbacks to get as many reps as possible, but if Aaron Rodgers gets hurt, they'll have a capable player to fill in for him, like Rudolph. The issue now is, would Rudolph even agree to that?

If Rudolph were to get his full salary and just be a backup option, that sounds like a pretty sweet deal, but he more than likely wants a chance to be an actual backup in another offense. If the Steelers can only offer him an option like this one, chances are he would ask to be released. But then, Pittsburgh runs the risk of two inexperienced players being backup options to Rodgers. Every move in this situation has its consequences. 

So What Should The Steelers Do With Their Quarterback Depth?

The coaching staff has been evaluating their quarterbacks, especially with the addition of Allar, throughout the offseason so far. McCarthy has been known for his emphasis on the position and has even been called a "guru" when it comes to developing at the position. With Howard entering his second year, there may be a sense of urgency to get him ready to become the backup, and he's already tinkering with his game. If Howard comes close to Rudolph's ability, the front office and coaching staff will probably go for the young guy. 

With that being said, Howard lacks the game experience, but it could be a blessing in disguise to see what he could do should Rodgers go down. There are a ton of questions, but it will all come down to: youth or veteran? 

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