Steelers LB Sends Strong Message on Mason Rudolph, QB Situation

There aren’t a lot of NFL pundits excited about the prospects of quarterbacks Mason Rudolph or Will Howard potentially starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 2025 season. But don’t include Steelers edge rusher Nick Herbig in that group.

Herbig expressed confidence in who the Steelers have on their quarterback depth chart while appearing on The Not Just Football Podcast with Cameron Heyward on Tuesday.

“I mean, Tom Brady was sixth round, right? [We] got a Big Ten guy, Ohio State guy. We got [Mason] Rudolph. He’s always in the gun, in the slinger. We got options,” Herbig told Heyward.

“We got options. I like our options right now. I do.”

Heyward notably agreed with Herbig, also saying he liked the team’s options.

The Steelers have added three quarterbacks to their roster this offseason with Rudolph, Howard and Skylar Thompson. In NFL free agency, the Steelers parted with Russell Wilson, Justin Fields and Kyle Allen.

Rudolph agreed to a two-year contract to return to Pittsburgh after leaving for the Tennessee Titans last offseason. The Steelers selected Howard at No. 185 overall in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.

Nick Herbig, Cameron Heyward Confident in Mason Rudolph, Will Howard

Heyward, along with fellow podcast guest and Steelers defender Keeanu Benton, laughed at Herbig’s response to Heyward’s question about the team’s quarterback situation. Heyward also commented that the Herbig and Benton “have learned” when it comes to answering questions from the media.

With that in mind, it’s worth wondering how genuine Herbig’s answer was. It’s also very possible the podcast edited Herbig’s answer to Heyward’s question.

Still, there’s likely at least some truth to Herbig’s response.

Rudolph struggled with the Titans, posting a 1-4 record as a starter and throwing nine touchdowns with nine interceptions in eight games. He also had 1,530 passing yards while averaging 6.7 yards per attempt.

But Steelers players are very familiar with Rudolph. The veteran quarterback led Pittsburgh to three consecutive victories to end the 2023 season, which clinched a playoff berth for the team.

That gave Benton and Herbig their first NFL playoff experience. The Steelers added both defenders, who each played at Wisconsin, as part of the 2023 class. The team selected Benton in the second round while grabbing Herbig in the fourth.

Comparing Howard to Tom Brady is obviously a stretch. That’s the comparison pretty much everyone makes whenever a quarterback goes off the board in the sixth round.

The New England Patriots drafted Brady at No. 199 overall in the sixth round during the 2000 draft.

But it’s not surprising Herbig and Heyward are excited about what the rookie signal-caller could potentially do.

Heyward’s Previous Comments on Aaron Rodgers

The Steelers defenders avoided talking about Aaron Rodgers when Heyward presented the team’s quarterback room as a topic. But Heyward previously addressed the possibility of Rodgers playing for the Steelers.

“I ain’t doing that darkness retreat,” Heyward said on his podcast on March 18. “I don’t need any of that crap. Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t. That’s simple, that’s the pitch.

“If you want me to recruit, that’s the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers if you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don’t, no skin off my back.”

Heyward gave that answer to a question about what the pitch was to convince Rodgers to come to Pittsburgh. The Steelers defensive captain provided a somewhat different answer to a pitch for Wilson last year.

Heyward, though, tried to walk back his comments on Rodgers within a few days after making them.

To avoid any further controversy, Heyward and his teammates rightfully avoided Rodgers as a topic Tuesday. Instead, they focused on the positives of what the team already has behind center.