When Steelers Should Officially Move On From Mason Rudolph

In a nutshell, Mason Rudolph is in serious danger of not making the Pittsburgh Steelers' 53-man roster in 2026.

Not that it's a surprise with how the Steelers have constructed their quarterback room, but it's hard to view Rudolph as anything other than the odd man out next to Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard and Drew Allar.

Pittsburgh isn't in any rush to find Rudolph a new home either by way of trading or releasing him, especially with head coach Mike McCarthy saying the team loves all four of its signal callers, but when could the decision be made to part ways with the 30-year-old?

Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

Trade Possibility

The Steelers don't have to force a Rudolph trade until final roster cuts, essentially handing them all the leverage in this case.

There are any number of teams out there that could use an upgrade at backup quarterback or potentially even look for a bridge option if their starter goes down with an injury at some stage during training camp or the preseason, if not sooner.

Rudolph isn't a high-upside signal caller, nor has he ever really been, but he does have 34 games and 19 starts of experience under his belt and is a reliable veteran that could help another organization stay afloat if something were to happen to their starter.

If Pittsburgh gets an offer it can't refuse for Rudolph, such as an early Day 3 pick, than there's no point in waiting around and holding onto him.

In all likelihood, though, the Steelers would look to deal him away in July or August for a late Day 3 pick or a swap of Rudolph and a seventh-rounder for a sixth-rounder.

From there, they'd potentially replace him with a camp body, much like they did with Logan Woodside when Howard injured his hand last summer, who sticks around through the end of the preseason and then becomes a practice squad candidate upon being released.

Is There Any Point of Releasing Rudolph Early?

Should a trade not materialize, Pittsburgh wouldn't really benefit from cutting Rudolph before having to set its initial 53-man roster in late August.

The only reason the Steelers should ever move on from him before then is if he demands to be released so that he can have more time to scope out his other options around the league and they feel they should do right by him by granting that wish.

Otherwise, it'd be illogical to release Rudolph before they absolutely have to just in case one of their other quarterbacks gets hurt and he can step in and take over that roster spot.

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