The 2026 NFL season is only one game old. Yet, the Rubik’s Cube that is the league’s trade market has already dramatically shifted and could impact Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph.
In the season opener Wednesday night between the Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, Super Bowl champion quarterback Sam Darnold left with an injury after the first series. Darnold exited for the locker room and didn’t return because of a hip ailment.
Overall, ESPN’s Adam Schefter delivered a positive injury update on Darnold on Thursday. The quarterback avoided a major injury. But it sounds as though he will still miss a chunk of the season.
“Seahawks QB Sam Darnold underwent an MRI on his hip this morning that team doctors still are reviewing to determine how much time he will miss,” wrote Schefter on X. “It is expected to be some, but for now, the team believes it, as one source described, ‘dodged a bullet.'”
Barring a change in his injury status, it doesn’t sound as though the Seahawks need to hit the trade market looking for a quarterback to save their season. Darnold doesn’t sound finished in 2026, and veteran Drew Lock proved Wednesday he is more than serviceable.
But behind Lock, do the Seahawks trust developmental quarterback Jalen Milroe as their backup with Darnold out?
That’s where Rudolph could come in.
Why Mason Rudolph Could Fit With the Seahawks
The Steelers answered the 4-quarterback question on the offseason roster by keeping all four. Each signal-caller — Rudolph, Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard and Drew Allar — have distinct roles on the team to justify dedicating four roster spots behind center.
Ideally, though, the Steelers will find a way to cut that number to three. The Steelers aren’t trading Rodgers or Allar, and Howard has no trade value.
So, for the Steelers to get to three quarterbacks, a Rudolph trade is the most likely scenario. He’s been a rumored trade candidate since the team picked Allar in the third round this past spring.
Rudolph possesses a pretty similar profile to Lock. Both were Day 2 picks in back-to-back years. Rudolph went in the third round during 2018 while Lock was a second-rounder in 2019. Each quarterback has 30-plus games of NFL experience and yet aren’t over-the-hill backups close to retirement.
Rudolph wouldn’t offer the Seahawks an upgrade over Lock. But that might not be what Seattle pursues in a potential quarterback trade.
In Rudolph, the Seahawks could get another Drew Lock — a dependable backup that can still help a great team win, as Lock did Wednesday.
The Steelers QB2 would certainly offer the Seahawks an upgrade over Milroe, who has never attempted an NFL pass.
Could Steelers-Seahawks Execute Rudolph Trade?
Whether a Steelers-Seahawks trade involving Rudolph could happen depends on several factors. First, the Steelers have to be willing to deal their backup quarterback.
With 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers set to start behind center in 2026, that’s a risky idea for Pittsburgh. If Rodgers gets hurt, Rudolph’s experience will become invaluable for the veteran Steelers. Without Rudolph, the team would have to turn to two quarterbacks who have never played in the NFL.
Darnold’s injury status is another factor. If he’s out for only a couple weeks, then the Seahawks might risk Lock staying healthy to avoid adding what would essentially be a fourth signal-caller.
Should Darnold take a turn for the worse with his injury prognosis, then the Seahawks could also shop for a bigger QB upgrade than Rudolph.
If the Darnold is set to miss significant time but be back for the stretch run, though, Rudolph could be an ideal target. He would add extra quarterback insurance to a club with legitimate back-to-back Super Bowl aspirations.
The Steelers would benefit with an additional draft pick, more roster space and extra quarterback practice repetitions for Allar and Howard.
Steelers’ Mason Rudolph Gets New Possible Trade Destination During NFL Week 1