Mason Rudolph was balancing a tightrope until around five days ago. He was at the top of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback depth chart, quietly confident, and relatively unchallenged. Rudolph was viewed as the presumptive starter after rejoining the organization this summer and avoiding questions about whether the team would want to acquire a veteran or rely on Will Howard. He’d earned that right with his late-season 2024 surge and near-upset of the Bills in the Wild Card playoffs. But all of that changed when Aaron Rodgers walked in. And signed a one-year deal with Pittsburgh, tipping the scales and the spotlight his way.
And now, at the Steelers minicamp, Rodgers didn’t just show up. He showed out. According to Richie Walsh of KDKA on 93.7 the Fan, the gap between Rodgers and Rudolph was “night and day.” And the 41-year-old former MVP was throwing darts in shorts like it was 2011. “I know it’s just throwing footballs around in shorts, but he still has an arm,” said Walsh.
And then, when Walsh explained Rodgers’ arm velocity during drills, the word “zip” kept coming up. “He’s slinging it around…It just comes out so quick, and he’s slinging it, he’s firing it. There’s some zip on that ball. Throwing 30 yards down the field with some zip.” Rodgers appeared agile, accurate, and sharp despite his age and the Achilles injury that cut short his 2023 season in four snaps. He fired 30-yard rockets that left Steelers staff giddy.
KDKA’s Steelers insider @RichieWalsh on @937theFan says there’s a “night and day” difference between how Aaron Rodgers throws a football compared to Mason Rudolph. Even at 41. Said Rodgers has “zip” on the ball.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) June 10, 2025
Rudolph chose the high road when speaking to Kevin Gorman. He said that he saw it coming. He had a “feeling.” But he plans to focus on his routine and stay prepared. “It won’t change my approach. I’ll keep doing what I’ve done my whole career. I’ve had plenty of adversity and found a way to battle through it. I stayed ready to play well when called upon.” Rudolph, who once backed up Ben Roethlisberger and endured a whirlwind of quarterback auditions, is accustomed to this storyline. Now, despite a strong finish last season and the expectation he’d finally start Week 1, he’s back in the backup chair.
Pittsburgh may have its most stable quarterback room since Roethlisberger’s prime. With Rodgers at QB1, Rudolph as a reliable backup, and Will Howard growing behind them. And now, everyone is watching to see how far Rodgers can lead this squad. And whether he is more than just a $13.65 million stopgap. But now that Rodgers is under center, the topic of discussion is changing from arm strength and depth charts to job security and playoff expectations.
Aaron Rodgers’ arrival raises the heat on Mike Tomlin’s legacy
Chad Johnson didn’t sugarcoat the heat Aaron Rodgers has brought upon Mike Tomlin’s legacy. Rodgers could get Tomlin fired. The worst-case scenario—the Rodgers experiment fails and Tomlin is held accountable—was outlined by Shannon Sharpe, Chad Johnson, and Matthew Judon on Nightcap. “If he doesn’t play well, players get coaches fired, man. Tomlin’s going to be on the hot seat…I think if they have a bad season, Mike Tomlin will be on the hot seat).” Despite the fact that Rodgers’ contract is full of incentives (up to $6 million more for playoff success), Tomlin’s tenure may come under long-overdue criticism if he fails to deliver.
According to Judon, the squad may suffer long-term consequences from Tomlin’s success. Although he keeps them competitive, their fierce rivalry has prevented them from drafting top quarterbacks. Therefore, it was thought that Rodgers was Pittsburgh’s best chance when he eventually became available, even if it meant taking a chance on a 41-year-old.
Sharpe reminded listeners that Pittsburgh hasn’t fired a coach since 1969. That’s five decades of organizational loyalty. But even he admitted that if Rodgers crashes and burns, and the Steelers miss the playoffs again, Tomlin might finally be in the crosshairs. “Bro, the Steelers haven’t fired a coach since 1969…I don’t think it’s enough (to have a winning season). (Tomlin) is the one that says ‘the standard is the standard.’ If the standard is getting to — or competing for Super Bowls — they haven’t competed for a Super Bowl for a long time,” Sharpe said. “When was the last time someone thought the Steelers would be a threat in the playoffs? We’re talking, bare minimum, five years. They haven’t been a serious threat since Ben (Roethlisberger).”
Rodgers may have stolen the headlines this week, but he may also be holding Mike Tomlin’s job in his hands. If he wins, he’s the veteran savior. If he fails, Pittsburgh might do something it hasn’t done since Sharpe was born—fire a head coach.
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