There’s no question who the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback will be when they kick off the regular season on Sept. 7. However, at 41 years old, there’s no guarantee Aaron Rodgers will be the only quarterback to appear under center for the Steelers this year.
While the Steelers will likely only go as far as Rodgers takes them in 2025, the performance of two of Pittsburgh’s “other” quarterbacks on Saturday night helped to alleviate concern if either would have to step in for a game.
Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson played about as well as possible, as the backups combined to lead the Steelers to a 31-25 preseason win.
Up first was Rudolph, now back with Pittsburgh after a year away in Tennessee — he recorded 1,530 yards with nine touchdowns and nine picks in eight games with the Titans. When Rudolph signed with the Steelers this offseason, he did so with the door open to compete to be the team’s starting quarterback. That was, of course, until Rodgers decided to join the fold.
Even knowing he’s the QB2 at best, Rudolph showed just how far he’s come since his initial opportunity with Pittsburgh when Ben Roethlisberger missed most of the 2019 season.
In his first game back wearing the Black and Gold, Rudolph sliced and diced the Jaguars defense on his opening drive. Rudolph was 7-for-7 on that drive, leading the Steelers into the end zone. He finished his outing, going 9-for-10 for 84 yards with the one score.
“Really cool, really fun. Good to be back in the Black and Gold, man,” said a happy Rudolph during his postgame press conference.
Yes, it was in a preseason game against much of Jacksonville’s second unit. But Rudolph impressed nonetheless, making his case as one of the most reliable backups in the league.
And then, maybe more surprisingly, Thompson came in and took charge the rest of the way.
Playing most of the game, Thompson, 28, completed 20-of-28 pass attempts for a staggering 71.4%. He threw for 233 yards with three touchdowns and even scrambled for a few yards on the ground.
A seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, Thompson signed a reserve/future contract with the Steelers in January. Having drafted Ohio State national champion Will Howard in the sixth round this year, Pittsburgh is unlikely to carry Thompson on its full roster following the preseason.
No matter what happens with Thompson, he did what he had to do – prove he can play winning football. So, whether Thompson’s preseason ends up being enough to impress the Steelers or a tryout for another team, his success shows the depth of Pittsburgh’s entire quarterback room.
