The Detroit Lions are one of the few teams with a questionable backup quarterback position. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph was viewed as a popular trade candidate, according to Christopher Kline of FanSided.
Kline notes that Pittsburgh has four quarterbacks and Rudolph is their most expendable.
“The Steelers kept all four quarterbacks on their roster: Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar and Will Howard,” wrote Kline. “While Rodgers and probably Allar are the only names exempt from trade speculation, Rudolph feels more vulnerable than Howard at this stage. The latter didn’t exactly impress in preseason action, but he’s only in his second NFL season, with greater upside than Rudolph and plenty of organizational faith in his abilities.”
Kline notes that the Steelers plan for next season will be for Rodgers to retire, Rudolph to move on, and the team to move forward with Howard and Allar. So, trading Rudolph now would not hurt.
Detroit Lions Could Trade for Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph
The Steelers have four capable options at quarterback, and the Lions hardly have two. Teddy Bridgewater retired in the middle of training camp and put them in a bad spot. They signed Joshua Dobbs, but he is a journeyman who was unsigned for a reason.
Dobbs had an up-and-down preseason and did not lock up the job. However, rookie UDFA Luke Altmyer was not necessarily pushing him for it.
The rookie needs a year to develop, and that is why he cleared waivers and reverted back to the practice squad without any concerns.
Rudolph is entering his seventh season in the NFL. He had 19 career starts with a 9-9-1 record in those games. He has also thrown 738 passes as a backup, completing 64.4% of his passes. With 30 touchdowns and 22 interceptions, he is more than capable as a backup.
For comparison, Dobbs has a 62.8% completion rate on 15 starts with a 3-12 record. He has 17 touchdowns to 15 interceptions on 559 attempts. Rudolph is the better player in every fashion.
Steelers Might Hold Mason Rudolph in 2026
The only issue is that the Steelers might not be as inclined to trade Rudolph as some think. Pittsburgh likes four quarterbacks because Howard and Allar can start down the road. However, they have no combined starts in the NFL. So, the Steelers would trade Rudolph to clear up the room, but it would give them a highly inexperienced backup.
The Steelers seem interested in walking a line of competing and preparing for the future. So, Rodgers and Rudolph are the two who will play this year and help them win now. Howard and Allar will sit this year and compete next year.
It would be hard to have a team ready to compete with Rodgers, only to see him go down for a week or two and have to turn to an unknown project.
The Lions should call Pittsburgh, and for the right price, they will have to move on. However, it might be harder for Detroit to acquire Rudolph than the initial depth chart shows.
Lions Could Trade For Veteran QB With 19 Starts