The Pittsburgh Steelers will not utilize 39-year-old Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday night when they open the preseason against the Dallas Cowboys.
Instead, the Steelers will start third-year quarterback Mason Rudolph during the Hall of Fame Game.
Rudolph, 26, will work with the first-team to open the game. He'll share reps with Dwayne Haskins and Josh Dobbs. Haskins will finish the first half and Dobbs will finish the game.
Tomlin said the quarterback depth chart is not determined by any thoughts of next season or the loss of Roethlisberger. The Steelers will prepare their two-minute drill with Dobbs and Haskins on Tuesday.
"He's grown by leaps and bounds," Tomlin said on Haskins. "He does a good job of communicating with coaches with players, gaining an understanding of what we're trying to do schematically and his role in it. gaining a rapport with the receivers, specifically trying to do the things that we want him to do."
The Steelers are also preparing Najee Harris and Kendrick Green for quality workloads on Thursday night.
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