The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

By Chris Gates | The Pittsburgh Football Podcast

The Steelers have an interesting quarterback decision to make over the next few weeks.

Not because Aaron Rodgers is in danger of losing the starting job.

That part is settled.

The real question is what the Steelers should do behind him.

After watching the first preseason game, I’ve become even more convinced that the Steelers shouldn’t carry four quarterbacks. And if they only keep three, I think the odd man out should be Mason Rudolph.

I know that’s might not be a popular opinion with everybody.

But hear me out.

We already know who Mason Rudolph is

This isn’t meant as a criticism of Mason Rudolph.

He’s had some good moments in Pittsburgh.

He kept the Steelers alive late in the 2023 season. He’s handled himself professionally throughout his career. He’s earned the respect of his teammates.

But we also know exactly what he is.

• We know what he does well.
• We know where his limitations are.

At this point in his career, Mason Rudolph isn’t suddenly going to develop into a franchise quarterback.

He’s a capable backup.

And there’s value in that.

The question is whether there’s enough value to justify keeping him over two young quarterbacks who may eventually become much more than that.

I don’t think there is.

Aaron Rodgers changes the entire conversation

This would be a completely different discussion if Rodgers weren’t on the roster.

But he is.

The Steelers aren’t asking one of these young quarterbacks to carry the franchise this season.

They’re asking them to learn.

That’s an incredible luxury.

Mike McCarthy has the opportunity to spend an entire year developing Will Howard and Drew Allar without either one having the pressure of being “the guy.”

That’s exactly how quarterback development is supposed to work.

Aaron Rodgers himself benefited from sitting behind Brett Favre before taking over in Green Bay.

The Steelers finally have a situation where they can allow young quarterbacks to develop patiently instead of rushing them onto the field.

Why waste that opportunity?

Howard and Allar showed enough to justify investing in them

I’m not overreacting to one preseason game.

These quarterbacks were facing second- and third-team defenders. That context absolutely matters.

But what encouraged me wasn’t necessarily the statistics.

It was how comfortable they looked.

Will Howard hadn’t played football in over a year.

Drew Allar was coming back from a significant injury of his own.

Yet neither player looked overwhelmed.

• Both distributed the football efficiently.
• Both appeared confident operating Mike McCarthy’s offense.
• And both looked further along than I expected.

That doesn’t mean either one is ready to start.

Far from it.

It simply reinforces the idea that these are players worth continuing to invest in.

Carrying four quarterbacks doesn’t make sense

Some people have suggested the Steelers should simply keep all four quarterbacks.

I don’t see it.

Every roster spot matters in the NFL.

Keeping a fourth quarterback means sacrificing depth somewhere else.

• Maybe that’s another cornerback.
• Maybe it’s another offensive lineman.
• Maybe it’s another special teams contributor.

Whatever position gets squeezed, you’re giving up a player who has a much greater chance of contributing this season than a fourth quarterback ever will.

It just isn’t an efficient way to build a 53-man roster.

If Rodgers gets hurt, I’d rather learn something

Here’s really what this comes down to.

Let’s say Aaron Rodgers misses significant time this season.

What do you gain by starting Mason Rudolph?

You probably aren’t winning the AFC North.

You’re probably not making a deep playoff run.

You’re likely not accomplishing any of the goals you entered the season hoping to achieve.

So why not use that unfortunate situation to accelerate the development of one of your young quarterbacks?

Notice what I’m saying.

I’m not arguing that Howard or Allar should start over Rodgers.

I’m arguing that if circumstances force the Steelers to play another quarterback anyway, I’d rather spend those snaps learning about a potential long-term answer than watching a veteran whose ceiling we’ve already seen.

That’s tangible value.

You finish the season with far more information about your future than you would by simply turning the offense over to Mason Rudolph.

Sometimes the hardest decisions are the right ones

None of this is an indictment of Mason Rudolph.

It’s simply a reflection of where the Steelers are as an organization.

• They’ve invested draft capital in two young quarterbacks.
• They’ve hired one of the league’s most accomplished quarterback developers in Mike McCarthy.
• They’ve signed Aaron Rodgers to give those young players time to grow.

Everything points toward building for both the present and the future.

Keeping Mason Rudolph because he’s the safer backup feels like delaying an inevitable decision.

I’d rather see the Steelers fully commit to developing Howard and Allar.

If Rodgers stays healthy, they’ll spend an entire season learning behind a future Hall of Famer.

If Rodgers gets hurt, one of them gains invaluable NFL experience.

Either outcome moves the franchise forward.

I’m just not sure keeping Mason Rudolph accomplishes the same thing.