Aaron Rodgers may have explained why Steelers could make Mason Rudolph move

Shortly after NFL teams had to trim active rosters down to 53 players on Aug. 30, a report claimed that executives around the league had revealed that the Pittsburgh Steelers were "very open to trading veteran" quarterback Mason Rudolph. 

While speaking with reporters on Wednesday, Pittsburgh starting signal-caller Aaron Rodgers shared an update about second-year pro Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar that may explain why the Steelers could part ways with Rudolph at some point this year. 

Will Howard, Drew Allar are "ahead of" where Aaron Rodgers was as a rookie? 

"I thought the entire camp, it was never too big for them," Rodgers said about Howard and Allar, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. "They looked really comfortable out there, and I thought they did a lot of good things moving the football, being efficient. There's learning experiences, but you look at my first preseason, it was not pretty at all. I didn't play good till about the second half of the fourth preseason game. So, they're definitely ahead of where I was at, and mentally, they're grasping the offense and the checks and the 'cans,' and I'm really proud about those guys."

Howard isn't a first-year pro, but he basically completed a redshirt rookie campaign after he suffered a hand injury in August 2025. He has yet to attempt an NFL regular-season pass, while Allar is widely viewed as a developmental project who probably shouldn't play against a live defense until 2027. 

Aaron Rodgers comments on unique quarterback situation

Eyebrows were raised when the Steelers kept four quarterbacks on their active roster, as doing so theoretically weakens a different part of the squad. Rodgers, 42, seems serious about retiring after this season, and he understands why first-year head coach Mike McCarthy is planning for life without the future Hall of Famer on the Pittsburgh roster.

"I don’t think I’ve been on a roster with four quarterbacks," Rodgers admitted on Wednesday, according to Chris Ward of Steelers Now. "Obviously, when you do that, you’re taking away another spot from a place on the team. But, at the same time, if the best 53 are going to make it, and not saying they did, I think those four are part of the best 53. I’m happy for all those guys. Obviously, looking to the future, those other three guys are going to have a chance when I’m gone. And with the growth you saw with Will and obviously with Drew being drafted so high, but also playing well in camp. I’m not surprised at all, and I’m excited about those guys’ futures."

The Steelers are hoping that either Howard or Allar will prove to be a long-term replacement for Rodgers. That said, McCarthy would likely prefer that neither Howard nor Allar take a meaningful snap until next summer.