Howard or Rudolph?

We'll see. But I wouldn't put much stock into what McCarthy did with Cowboys. Steelers and Cowboys are Apples and Oranges.

 

Doubtful so I’ll bet you ten rubels Rodgers does not play against the Packers

All bets must be paid in actual paper rubels

Just because it’s the Packers means nothing he played a regular game against them last year

Rodgers didn't play a single snap in the Steelers' 2025 preseason, similar to his 2024 approach with the Jets where he also didn't play in the preseason

 

Dude. You are leaving out a whole year of practice, which Howard didn't get, and 8 preseason games, which in today's game would take over 3 years since they only play 3 preseason games a year now.
You , and I both know the only way that what happened with Dobbs, and the guys we have now to be the same would be for next year one of them is the number 2, and even then they wouldn't have had as many preseason games as Dobbs.

 

LoL. At the I think the HC should just throw something out there, and hope it works .
For people that don't, or haven't played any actual sports in their lives this may sound good, but HCs live , and die by wins.
Last time I can remember a HC going into a season without a experience Qb, and actually they didn't start the season that way, they actually waited till week 5, was the Browns HC last year.
Oh by the way He got fired.
This isn't about what You want, its about a team, and a HC trying to win as many games as they can, and hoping to catch a break, or Lighting in a bottle at some point in the season.

 

Rodgers.

 

Didn't Howard not play in contact drills at all in the preseason (certainly no drills where you could hit the QB)? I wouldn't put any stock in stats for non-contact drills.

IIRC, we heard a lot about Kenny playing well in these drills. Then I think it came out that we had to keep playing after the D "touched" the QB to end the play. Because otherwise the O wasn't getting enough work. I think part of that was also on the fact that we had a poor OL and very good edge rushers.

 

My guess is that most of the established starters won't play much in the preseason.

But even playing against backups, PS players, and guys who aren't going to make the PS is better competition than they will have faced in the NCAA.

 

If at least one of the lottery tickets shows something, I'd be OK with this...actually I'd be OK with it either way because I want a rebuild.

My guess will be that the team will need one of the young guys to play well enough to show that they can be a reasonable NFL backup for the team to drop Rudolph (hopefully via trade). Because the prime directive is to not play meaningless regular season games.

 

Camp numbers are useless information

 

Uh oh. Definitely a sign of trouble for Howard if Madden is on board:

Young Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard appears to be making a believer out of a long-time critic. Steel City radio personality Mark Madden is giving some flowers to the young Steelers quarterback this summer.

“It’s my big switcheroo regarding the Steelers’ quarterback position,” Madden said on 105.9 The X radio, and reported by USA Today. “This is way out of left field, but I am jumping on the Will Howard bandwagon. I don’t believe he’s the long-term answer. But I know for sure that Mason Rudolph ain’t the long-term answer. And I also believe that Mason Rudolph can’t win enough if [Aaron] Rodgers gets hurt and the backup has to play. I would have no problem keeping Will Howard as the No. 2. In fact, I now believe it’s a good idea.”

The Steelers appear to be set at quarterback for 2026, as veteran Aaron Rodgers is returning to the team. Rodgers has committed though that this upcoming NFL season will be his last.

That means that Pittsburgh still needs to find a long-term answer at quarterback. Howard is one of the options, as is rookie Drew Allar from Penn State. Rudolph is also still in the mix, even though Madden isn't enamored by him.

 

I agree and it's also possible that an early season injury could bring about a trade for Mason due to his experience.

I really want to see if Howard has that it factor he displayed at Ohio State.

 

That bandwagon better double up its wheels with a personality like fat-head Mark Madden jumping on it. Okay-- that was a bit harsh. Rudolph is the most ready and proven (by a big margin) of the backup quarterbacks in the 2026 camp.

Given AR's age and health we need a back up that is ready to play as soon as the season starts.

 

Mason Rudolph's last win for the Steelers was 3 years ago against Tyler Huntley and the rest of the Raven backups who were phoning it in because they already clinched the division. Since then he has had 7 NFL starts and has lost 6 of them. If Rodgers goes out for 7 weeks the only way Will Howard would do worse than Rudolph is if the Steelers lost all 7. Go with the 25 year old over the 31 year old who has already tapped out of any potential he might have once had.

 

This is correct

But there is a certain faction that believes we should just waste seasons

 

I am of the opinion that starting an over-the-hill, 43 year old QB is wasting a season.

Unless there's injuries to Nix, Maye, Jackson, Mahomes, Burrow, Herbert... Steelers ain't gonna hang with the big dogs. Sorry... but that's the ugly truth.

 

The steelers are just wasting seasons since 2021...The steelers would been in a much better position now if they would started a full rebuilding in 2022 instead of making quick fixes in order to continue our non-losing season streak which means nothing since the time we are unable to win playoff games.They are unable to be competitive in the playoffs

 

I forgot Josh Allen.... another mistake by me.

 

A freaking men!

What good is "experience" if its full of turds, ducks and missed options?
Add in no obvious leadership qualities and what do you have? A giant sucking sound masquerading as a legitimate backup QB.

 

You are on! I'm really think he will because there are only four NFL quarterbacks that have beat all 32 teams. Rogers is one team short of that list and it is the Packers. It is preseason, so it doesn't count for the official records. But it will probably get one of those little asterisk footnotes they say he's technically done it, but one game was preseason.......

 

What?? Have you heard of a thing called a scout team??
Whatever you think, and if You actually admit it a whole year of practice , and 8 preseason games is way different than no preseason games, and no year of practice. This is not a hard thing.
Which is more 8 , or 0??
LoL

 

There is a zero percent chance that Rodgers even suits up during the pre-season let alone play in a game.