Pittsburgh Steelers fans desperately want a long-term franchise quarterback. And that feeling has become stronger since Aaron Rodgers revealed that the 2026 season will be his last dance. It is also evident that one of the two younger quarterbacks in the room, Will Howard or Drew Allar, will eventually replace him as QB1. The system Pittsburgh has in place for them has not gone unnoticed by veteran QB Mason Rudolph.
“I’m very aware that the fanbase is starved for a franchise QB,” Rudolph said, via Tribune-Review Sports’ Tim Benz. “People want to have hope for the future beyond this year. We’ve got two great QBs who are young and progressing. I really am jealous of the structure they have had and this program and this QB-grooming system the way that Coach [Mike] McCarthy has done it because I feel that they have made a lot of strides. I’ll be rooting them on Friday.”
Head coach Mike McCarthy has announced that Rodgers and Rudolph will not start the preseason game vs the New York Jets. The reps will be split between Howard and Allar, with the former starting the game. Rudolph had started against the Green Bay Packers, completing 10 passes for 93 yards. This year is also turning out to be one of the many years Rudolph has spent on the bench. But maybe now that he is a seasoned veteran, he can make peace with that reality.
Rudolph has spent a total of seven years with Pittsburgh, but he has only started one proper season, in 2019. He started five games for the Tennessee Titans in 2024, during which he recorded his second 1,000+ passing-yards season. Now back in Pittsburgh, it doesn’t look like he’s going to get many opportunities unless someone goes down with an injury.
On top of that, Rudolph lacked good quarterback coaching while operating in the Mike Tomlin system. Had he been under a McCarthy system, which is known to develop good quarterbacks, Rudolph might have had a solid chance of competing for a starting job.
The new head coach seems to be very impressed by the veteran.
“I saw what I needed to see from Mason last week. I’ve talked highly about Mason really since the spring,” the head coach said after the game. “I really want to max out the opportunities with both Will and Drew.
“Mason has great command of the offense. Just pure on the field game day, he’s very experienced. He’s [a] strong personality in the locker room. I really like his command, understanding the offense. He has been through a number of systems. He’s been asked to do things differently for how we believe in how the quarterback position is played. He’s done an excellent job.”
93.7 The Fan’s Andrew Filliponi wrote on X that McCarthy’s attitude and decision to not play Rodgers or Rudolph means the QB1 and QB2 roles are set.
Nevertheless, Rudolph knows exactly what is at stake heading into the final stages of the preseason. He’s the immediate backup for Rodgers. Meanwhile, Allar and Howard are competing for the third string on the depth chart. Understanding that pressure, Rudolph wished them the best regardless of the envy in his mind.
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The post “I Really Am Jealous”: Veteran Steelers QB Admits Envy of Drew Allar & Will Howard Over What He Never Got appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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