Steelers veteran hints at QB battle between Mason Rudolph, Will Howard

Aaron Rodgers may be dominating the Steel City headlines, but one Pittsburgh Steelers veteran believes a quarterback battle is brewing between Mason Rudolph and Will Howard.

Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, 36 year-old defensive tackle Cameron Heyward admitted that a competition between Rudolph and Howard is a positional battle to keep an eye on.

“Mason [Rudolph] has earned his spot," Heyward said via CBS Sports via USAA. "[He] went to Tennessee for the 2024 season, came back, and when Mason has had to step up, he's stepped up in those moments. With Will, I think there's a lot of intrigue there because he didn't play his rookie year. He didn't get as many reps as he wanted to, but when he got those reps, he made the most of them, especially in practice. He was always trying to compete against the ones, and when you watch his pedigree of winning a national championship at Ohio State, you're like, 'Man, what can he do at the next level?' We'll see. I know we'll have a little bit of battle there."

Howard may not have been able to get any preseason or regular-season reps in 2025, but that hasn't stopped fans from rallying behind him in support of a potential starting opportunity.

While Rudolph isn't going to give up the QB2 spot or a potential starting role without a fight, he didn't exactly make a strong case for himself in his lone start of the 2025 season — throwing for 171 yards, one touchdown, and one interception while averaging just 5.5 yards per attempt.

Heyward hit the nail right on the head, however, as whether or not Rodgers returns, Howard and Rudolph will be competing this summer for a bigger role on offense.

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