Steelers Legend Absolutely Blasts QB Mason Rudolph: "Look What He Did When He Came In"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to look a lot different in 2026. They have a whole new coaching staff, with Head Coach Mike McCarthy leading the way. McCarthy was hired after Mike Tomlin's resignation, who had served as the franchise's head coach for 19 years. Tomlin, going into his last season, made one final push for a Super Bowl run, bringing in a ton of veterans including Aaron Rodgers, Darius Slay, Jalen Ramsey, and Jonnu Smith. Even with all of these moves, the 2025 season ended the same as the previous few, getting routed in the first round of the playoffs. Now going into 2026, the Steelers once again are unsure who their starting quarterback will be for Week 1.

The Steelers currently have two quarterbacks under contract for 2026, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Howard is popular among Steeler Nation and even the media. The idea of a National Champion being the starter is very intriguing for fans and pundits alike. McCarthy has praised Howard an unusual amount, leading fans to believe the young QB has a chance to be the starter in 2026. Howard was a sixth-round pick and it wouldn't be realistic for him to be the team's Week 1 starter so soon. That would leave Rudolph as the team's starter currently. Rudolph has been with the Steelers since 2018, making a one-year stop with the Tennessee Titans. The Steelers have seen enough of him to know he is certainly not the long-term answer.  

Former Steelers legend and two-time Super Bowl champion James Harrison spoke on his podcast recently, Deebo and Joe, about Pittsburgh and their quarterback situation. Harrison put Rudolph on blast, saying he should have competition, and even criticized Rudolph's play.

"I'd rather trade for one of these other cats and have a competition before I go and just let him sit there comfortably," Harrison said. "Look what he did when he came in, threw the pick immediately, oh, they ain't throwing no picks. Let me show y'all how to do this."  

Rudolph was the Steelers' saving grace in 2023; he led them to three straight wins and a playoff berth. His three games in 2023 were the best quarterback play the Steelers had seen in a long time. So, when he re-signed in 2025, it was hoped that he could regain that form under a new offensive coordinator. When Rodgers went down with a wrist injury, and Rudolph's number was called, he didn't look like the same player the team had seen in 2023. Rudolph turned the ball over three times in 2025 and took bad sacks at times.

With the uncertainty of Rodgers, the Steelers don't have very many options at quarterback. They would likely have to overpay a guy like Malik Willis and could easily end up with a bad contract. They could try to land a Kyler Murray, who is being released by the Arizona Cardinals, but Murray has had off-the-field, as well as on-the-field, issues and may not be worth the risk. The best thing for the Steelers may be the most unexpected: staying put. 

If Steelers Can't Win Now, Why Not Roll With Howard And Rudolph?

The Steelers proved that even with a Hall of Fame quarterback, the team isn't good enough to be a Super Bowl contender right now. They still have a ways to go, so why waste money on these misfit quarterbacks? Willis is easily the best of the bunch in the current free agent class, but he has connections elsewhere and teams that would likely offer more money. Other than Willis, there arguably isn't anyone on the market worth going after that would solve anything for the Black and Gold. So why not roll with Rudolph and Howard? 

Rudolph would likely be the day-one starter as the veteran, but he would have a very short leash. Letting he and Howard play for a season would likely put the Steelers in a prime position to land a top quarterback prospect in 2027. 

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