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The Pittsburgh Steelers wanted a veteran-led team in 2025, and that did not work well for the organization. In the 2026 offseason, they cut ties with most of those aging players who were recently brought in. Now, they only have about seven players above 30 years old that are expected to be key starters for the team. There are some older backups, but some veteran depth for a team this young is a good thing. Many of those guys may be off the roster in 2027 however, as the youth movement rolls on.
One of those players may be moved before the 2026 season even begins. On the most recent episode of "Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger," former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger mentioned one player who he is ready to see leave, and it's the most predictable one from him.
"Are you going to potentially utilize Mason [Rudolph] in a trade?" Roethlisberger asked. "You know, as you watch later in the training camp when injuries start to happen if a quarterback gets hurt and a team wants or needs a backup, is that an opportunity to move Mason...? You think it's Mason just for the sheer fact that the other two guys are young bucks, and personally, I think that's the smarter move."
There has definitely been a major disconnect between Roethlisberger and Mason Rudolph over the years as the two have never gotten along, especially while they were teammates. Even after the former Super Bowl champion in Roethlisberger retired, the subtle shots didn't die down. That's why this take from Roethlisberger is not the least bit surprising.
At the very least, Roethlisberger won't have to worry about talking about Rudolph anymore if he does get cut or traded. He knows how everyone perceives their relationship, which always makes it a touchy subject when he has to bring up his former teammate on his podcast. Obviously, the two players are not exactly friends with each other, so it's better for both of them to say less about the other one publicly and keep it civil.
Steelers may want to listen to Ben Roethlisberger's take on the QB situation
As bad of a look as it is for Roethlisberger to talk about his former teammate potentially no longer being on the team, he's not necessarily wrong. His whole idea is that the Steelers would be better off with two young quarterbacks developing on the team, so there's a better chance of the future franchise quarterback being in Pittsburgh already. It may just be a small chance, but it's still better than a lesser chance.
At this stage of his career, everyone knows what Rudolph is. He's a career backup that may be a decent option in a pinch, but nobody sees him as an eventual starter in the NFL anymore. The 31-year-old would likely be better off on a team with a young starter that could use a steady hand to help mentor him, as well as check into the game every now and then when needed. That does not describe Pittsburgh at all, which is unfortunate for Rudolph.
The Steelers have been raving about Will Howard for a while now. There's not much of a benefit to him being the QB3 again, or worse, placed on the practice squad. It makes no sense to cut someone that the staff believes to be a future starter just because the veteran backup may be slightly better currently. This is not a dig at Rudolph at all; he just is not the kind of guy that Pittsburgh needs on the 53-man roster for the 2026 season if they want to focus on younger signal-callers.
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