Quarterback Aaron Rodgers is officially back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His return will do a lot for the team’s chances of winning during the 2026 NFL season.
But it will impact the team in another way this summer. The Steelers now have four quarterbacks on the offseason roster. In all likelihood, one has to go before the start of the 2026 regular season.
Bleacher Report’s Moe Moton argued Sunday it will be veteran Mason Rudolph.
“Rudolph could be expendable if the Steelers prefer a developmental signal-caller in the primary backup role,” wrote Moton.
“Last year, Pittsburgh selected sixth-rounder Will Howard, who developed a rapport with Rodgers. The club selected Drew Allar in the third round of this year’s draft.
“Rudolph is an established veteran, but if the Steelers have little concern about Rodgers’ durability, even at his age, Howard and Allar could be his young understudies.”
The Steelers drafted Rudolph in the exact same spot as Allar — No. 76 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft. Rudolph, though, never developed into a franchise quarterback.
But he is a reliable backup. In 19 starts, Rudolph has posted a 9-9-1 record. Over 34 games, he’s registered 30 touchdowns and 22 interceptions while averaging 6.7 yards per pass.
Aaron Rodgers Gives Steelers Four Quarterbacks
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, along with other league and Steelers insiders, reported Saturday that Rodgers agreed to a 1-year contract to come back to Pittsburgh. The agreement is worth as much as $25 million.
Rodgers clearly returns as the Steelers starter. That leaves the team with three other quarterbacks, two of which have never played in the league.
The Steelers added rookie Drew Allar to their quarterback room in the third round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That pick came a year after the team selected Will Howard at No. 185 overall in the sixth round.
Allar and Howard will compete with Rudolph behind Rodgers for playing time. Based on experience, Rudolph is the obvious choice to be the team’s backup signal-caller in 2026.
But with an eye to the future, the Steelers could elect to keep their two project quarterbacks.
While Rudolph is reliable as a backup, he also hasn’t been as dependable lately. He is 1-5 as a starter with 11 touchdowns versus 11 interceptions in the past two seasons.
Four of those losses, though, came with the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
Why Mason Rudolph Could Be Odd-Man Out in Steelers QB Room
Rudolph could find himself on the chopping block this summer depending on how the team approaches its quarterback situation.
With Rodgers, it makes a lot of sense to keep Rudolph. Rodgers is 42 years old, which makes him a bigger reliability than other quarterbacks around the league.
The Steelers clearly want to win in 2026. Not having an experienced backup could cost the team if anything happened to Rodgers.
If the Steelers had to start a quarterback not named Rodgers for a game today, Rudolph is the obvious choice.
But things could change in a few months. Depending on how training camp and the preseason go, Allar or Howard could emerge as a quality backup option.
That would make Rudolph expendable. Rudolph, though, could also be on the chopping block if the Steelers, no matter what, elect to keep their two young quarterbacks but only want three signal-callers on the roster.
More than likely, the Steelers will try to trade Rudolph before cutting him if he’s the odd-man out. But there’s no guarantee the 30-year-old will have a market.
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