OTA’s

Austin said he would start practicing at DE

Eventually he would practice at NT

He did play NT

He played poorly

Since 6 has me on ignore he will probably repeat this

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/09/d...ins-why-yahya-black-isnt-playing-nose-tackle/

https://steelersdepot.com/2025/12/c...ose-tackle-knocked-off-the-ball-way-too-much/

 

I understand this line of thinking. However, Mason had a chance to win us a game last year in relief of Rodgers and didn't. If McCarthy truly believes that Howard is capable of being in the game and winning at the NFL level, then why not just roll with him as the #2? We have to make the best QB room possible. Does keeping Mason guarantee us wins in those games? We may have more confidence in him because he's won an NFL game before and Howard hasn't, but if the coach thinks that Howard gives us just as good a chance to win as Mason, then its a no brainer. Go with the guy that can still develop.

 

Mason Rudolph has lost 6 of his last 7 NFL starts and at 30 years old he better hope one of the other 3 QB'S get injured or he won't make the team.

 

Probably because they saw how bad he was at NT

 

Rudolph played well enough to win against the Bears. That early INT was as much on Metcalf's weak effort. The defense crapped the bed. Ramsey was abused at safety.

 

Some things are predictable

 

I don't want to discount that he was on a terrible team in Tennessee, so those losses mean a bit less to me... He's only started 7 games in Pittsburgh since 2019 and has gone 3-4 (with all 3 wins to end the season in 2023). I'm not a hater or hyper for Rudolph, but the reality is that he's still very replaceable. Simply having won in the NFL before doesn't mean that he should automatically be the back up because we are "trying to win".

Rudolph has been a good soldier. I don't question his effort or desire... though, he can be passed by. If one or both of our young guys look as good or better, then it is what it is. I won't lose sleep if we drop Mason in 2026.

 

That last drive against the Bears Mason wasn't good he couldn't get the team in FG position, he's a veteran QB and he didn't even notice one of his receivers was in an illegal formation that penalty killed them. There was video of Rodgers on the sideline reacting to it he knew they were lined up wrong .

 

Howard at 6'4" 235lbs should be durable enough. That is two of his better attributes. He has the prototypical physical frame that can absorb hits and frequently extends plays using his legs. Although to your point he did fracture a bone in his hand and has not taken an NFL snap.

 

Yea, that was not a good look for MR. I got the sense that he looked but didn't "see".

(reminds of the play earlier in the season with Rodgers yelling at his TE who was motioning presnap; "WHAT THE F___K ARE YOU DOING?!?". I don't mind a demanding QB at all.)

 

masons losses at tenn. mean nothing. his losses here were also under a sub par coaching staff that never did much to help mason. coordinators and coaches. past is the past. under good coaching for QB's why would anyone think he couldn't get better. he doesn't have to be broken down to square one. he needs maybe a little fine tuning at a few things. sure he's 30. so is josh allen and he's never won the big one either or been in it. mccarthy was impressed by rudolphs arm so far. his velocity on throws impressed him. he was going to draft rudolph in green bay.

 

Made me think of the scene from Victory, where they had to intentionally break the goalies leg so Stallone could play. He asked them to make it a clean break.

 

As much as I don't like what you're saying, I believe you're correct. I don't like it because I believe this is a lost season anyway, but obviously the Steelers don't. I'd hate to lose Howard without even seeing what he can do. But, if you're 'ALL IN", which they obviously are, then I can't imagine they'd go into this season without a seasoned backup, whether it's MR or somebody else.

Because, we've seen how deceiving preseason play can be(Pickett), at least externally, how will Howard show the coaches enough between now and final cuts to convince them that he's as valuable as MR is this season? I don't know that he can. That's obviously why they've made him the #2 right now, they really don't need to see anybody else play. They know what Rodgers and MR are, and Allar's already in.

If they let Howard go, and he turns out to be a top 10 QB within a couple years, it's going to get ugly. Unless, of course, they draft the shiny new toy next year. Which, I fear, they may talk themselves out of because of Allar. I've heard people suggest that he's possibly a two year project, so I have no idea where things are heading.

 

That 5.5 yards per pass attempt is going to win a lot of games.

He did throw a touchdown late, but the early defensive touchdown was the main reason that game was even close at the end.

 

I personally wouldn't mind the "worst case" scenario here where we start one (or cycle through) guys who've never played before to try to see if they might be future starters (if Rodgers goes down or we aren't reasonably going to compete for a playoff spot).

But that's because I think we're at a point where it would be better to be thinking about the medium term than the present with this team.

We genuinely have no shot at going to a SB IMO. I personally think we'll probably miss the playoffs this year.

Maybe we win a playoff game if we catch lightning in a bottle, but I find it difficult believe that anyone honestly thinks we're one of the best 4 teams in the AFC.

If these young guys with no experience start and suck (the most likely outcome IMO), then we'll (1) know more about them than we did before the season and (2) be better positioned to buy another lottery ticket at QB in the draft.

My guess is that Rooney (who has veto power over important decisions) thinks more like you do on this. I think we'll go into the season with Mason as QB2. Maybe that means we roster 4 QBs (which I think is a waste of a roster spot) or we can put Howard on the PS...who knows.

I don't think a guy like Mason is so invaluable that we couldn't let him go and then trade for someone similar before the deadline if AR gets hurt and we don't have confidence in the young guys.

 

See that's all I'm get at. Why would you bring Rodgers back, and do what they have done with hiring a Older HC, and making the moves they have in free agency if they weren't all in on this year??? So then you aren't then going to risk your season if Rodgers goes down for a few games. Too many people are making this a Mason thing, and I don't give 2 f**KS if it's Mason, or whomever, but You need a QB with experience for a couple of games if You are all in.

 

1. How many Qbs played every minute of football last year?
2. Your going all in if You hire a old HC, bring back Rodgers, and make the moves we have made in FA.
3. I don't give a f**k who the backup is, but I'd like to have one with some NFL experience.
4. While I like Howard, everyone is worried about losing a 6th round draft pick that nobody in the NFL has seen play in the NFL so why would a team jump on him if he was on the practice squad when they would then have to put him on their roster??

 

1. All backup Qb lose games , that's why they are backup Qbs. Hell starting Qbs lose games.
2. Too many of you are making this a Mason thing.
For the 5000000000000000 time. I don't give a dang if it's Mason, but if You are trying to actually win this year, You have a backup somewhere on this team that has some NFL experience, and You have actually seen win games in the NFL.

 

1. If You want to call 4 games in his entire career with a 1-3 record experience, well ok. I see that many have skipped the part where I've said a guy that you've seen win games in the NFL.
2. If You need your back up 1st snap to come in a AFC/NFC championship, you are probably f**ked anyway.
This is about a few game in the season. Tell me how many Qbs last year played every snap in the NFL??

 

But what if the young quarterbacks watching Rodgers play and operate within the new offense while absorbing as much knowledge as possible is the plan?

Then even if Rodgers is injured, the team is most likely not going to win the Super Bowl anyway, and they see what Howard and Allar can do and build off of that.

They seemed to hire Mike McCarthy to develop quarterbacks. Maybe that's exactly what they're doing and having an experienced backup only hurts the plan as he would take snaps from the younger players. At some point, young quarterbacks need to see significant reps in practice and then get some playing time to see what you have.

 

I don't really disagree with anything you've said here.

I don't think letting Mason walk is some huge risk though. Even though I do think he's probably among the better QB2s in the league. He is a seasoned vet with good experience.

If Rodgers did go down and we found the young guys were bad, I think it's not hard to find Mason-like QBs via trade. Even in season. Just like it wasn't hard for us to re-acquire Mason after we let him leave before (granted this wasn't done in-season).

I do tend to think that most of the "fluffing" the coaching staff was doing for Howard was just talk. But if they end up liking him better than Allar right now, I don't think they can put Allar on the PS.

Also also agree that Howard was already passed on multiple times by every team in the league. And he did nothing at all last year, so it's not like his stock would be up. I do think that relatively recent rules changes made it a lot easier to carry 3 QBs though, which would increase the risk that he would get claimed. Although the chances of that mattering even if it did happen are very small IMO.

Maybe a best case scenario for us would be that a QB goes down somewhere else in the league in the preseason and we can flip Mason for a middling draft pick?

 

And why can't they do this , and still have a NFL experienced Qb on the team.
Again, how many teams are going to pouch a 6th round draft pick that they have never seen play in the NFL off your PS when they will have to put them on their roster??
Also again. I'm not talking about if Rodgers is out all year. I'm talking if he's out a game , or 3 here, or there, and not to be mean, but I keep hearing how we have no chance to make a SB.
Tell me , did You have NE, and Seattle at this time last year picked to make the SB??

 

Stafford
Maye
Darnold
Mayfield
Allen

 

Allen didn't. Trubisky played parts in 4 games.
So that's 3 Qbs out of the whole NFL , not a good percentage that .