Steelers Now
Former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro and Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger believes Mason Rudolph is the quarterback most likely to be the odd man out in Pittsburgh’s crowded quarterback room.
Speaking on Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, Ben was asked which quarterback he thinks won’t make it through the current logjam.
“You think it’s Mason just for the sheer fact that the other two guys are young bucks. Personally, I think that’s the smarter move. You want to have two young guys because one of those could be your potential quarterback for the next five to ten years.”=
Roethlisberger’s answer points directly at Rudolph as the quarterback who could be traded or moved before the season, but the situation is a little more complicated than simply keeping the younger players.
Aaron Rodgers is locked in as the starter, and it’s hard to imagine Drew Allar going anywhere after the Steelers used a third-round pick on him just a few months ago. Pittsburgh clearly views Allar as a long-term developmental quarterback with the upside to eventually become the franchise’s future at the position.
That leaves Rudolph and Will Howard fighting for what could be one remaining roster spot.
On paper, Howard fits Ben’s reasoning. He’s younger, has developmental upside, and the Steelers could be hesitant to move on from him before seeing what they have. At the same time, the organization’s decision to draft Allar in the third round only one year after selecting Howard raises questions about where Howard really stands in the team’s long-term plans.
Rudolph, meanwhile, has something neither Howard nor Allar can offer right now: experience. He’s started NFL games, won games in Pittsburgh, and has shown he can step in if needed. If Aaron Rodgers were forced to miss time early in the season, Rudolph is probably the quarterback the Steelers would trust the most.
Roethlisberger has also never had the strongest relationship with Rudolph. Dating back to 2018, Ben was openly frustrated when the Steelers drafted Rudolph while he was still the franchise quarterback. That history makes his latest comments noteworthy, especially when he immediately identified Rudolph as the quarterback most likely to be on the outside looking in.
The Steelers’ investment in Allar makes his roster spot feel secure. Rodgers isn’t going anywhere. The real question is whether Pittsburgh values Rudolph’s experience enough to keep him, or whether the organization decides Howard’s youth is worth betting on. Based on Roethlisberger’s comments, he believes Rudolph is the quarterback who ultimately loses that battle.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Big Ben: Mason Rudolph is Steelers Odd Quarterback Out
