Latest news with #MasonRudolph
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Aaron Rodgers saga takes new twist as Steelers wait on legendary quarterback
The ongoing saga between Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers has taken a new twist, as the 41-year-old quarterback has reportedly not assured Pittsburgh he is joining the team. Rodgers entered the open market for the first time in his legendary career, with him yet to join another franchise after his New York Jets release in March. The Steelers have two quarterbacks on their roster, Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, currently with no true veteran presence. Rodgers being noncommittal about his future throws doubt into whether he'll be Steel City-bound at all, per NFL Network. Rodgers looked to have plenty of options months ago for where he could possibly land as a free agent, including the Vikings, Giants, and Colts. Every team that could have needed a short-term answer at quarterback with Rodgers fitting the bill, except the Steelers, made a definitive move to sign another signal caller. The Steelers may be in less of a win-now mode than in seasons' past, with their trade of star wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys as evidence. Head coach Mike Tomlin may want to develop a younger quarterback like Rudolph instead of a flyer on Rodgers to have postseason success in 2025. Earlier this week, Rudolph spoke on stage with President Donald Trump, with the Commander in Chief making a bold prediction. 'I happen to think a really good quarterback is a man named Mason Rudolph,' Trump said. 'I think he's gonna get a big shot. He's tall, he's handsome, he's got a great arm. And I have a feeling he's gonna be the guy.' Trump's pledge to Rudolph comes with Rodgers' political past, where he is friends with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was rumored to have considered the quarterback as a running mat during his third-party run for the White House. Kennedy now serves in Trump's cabinet,
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Steelers Continue Roster Changes with UDFA Cut
Pittsburgh Steelers Continue Roster Changes with UDFA Cut originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Pittsburgh Steelers continue to make roster moves early in the offseason. On Thursday, Pittsburgh announced it released defensive end Blake Mangelson via its X account. Mangelson was signed as an UDFA on April 28 and participated in rookie minicamp and the first week of OTAs. Advertisement Before signing with the Steelers this offseason, Mangelson accepted an offer to the Minnesota Vikings' rookie minicamp but canceled when Pittsburgh came calling. The 23-year-old is a monster at 6-5, 279 pounds and played collegiately at BYU. Across four seasons, he posted 82 total tackles with 12 for loss, 2.5 sacks, one interception and four passes defended. His release brings the 90-man roster back down to 90 after wideout Montana Lemonious-Craig signed earlier this week, but Pittsburgh is technically allowed 91 players since Julius Welschof has a roster exemption with the NFL International Pathway Program. The Steelers are expected by some to sign veteran free agent quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so they now have a roster spot open for that, but even if Rodgers decides not to sign, the team has stated they'll add another veteran to compete with Mason Rudolph for the starting job. Advertisement It's also possible Pittsburgh re-signs Mangelson at some point this offseason after more cuts or an injury to a defensive lineman necessitates a need. The team typically retains six or seven on the regular-season 53-man roster, and after Mangelson's release, they currently have 12 with mandatory minicamp beginning on June 10. Related: Steelers Running Back Room Is Crowded Related: Steelers Trade Rumors Swirl as WR Emerges at OTAs This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jason Kelce Receives Strong Message From Rookie NFL QB
Jason Kelce Receives Strong Message From Rookie NFL QB originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Jason Kelce, a former NFL center and brother of Travis Kelce, spent his entire 13-season career with the Philadelphia Eagles, earning six Pro Bowls, a Super Bowl title, and recognition for leadership and passionate play. Advertisement All these accolades and more were given as clues to Steelers' rookie quarterback Will Howard in a short NFL segment where he had to guess the player. The former Ohio State Buckeye signal-caller has always been an Eagles fan. So he could quickly connect the dots to find his answer. Along with it, he dropped some strong words on Kelce. "I grew up in Eagle Stands," He said. "I was a big fan of Jason all growing up. I just loved how gritty he was, and he kind of made something of himself when people kind of called him out." Jason Kelce on the ESPN postseason countdown set.© Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Howard joined the Steelers as a sixth-round pick. He enters a quarterback room led by Mason Rudolph, who will start under center this season. For now, Howard will serve as the backup signal-caller. Rudolph recently appeared on stage at President Donald Trump's May 30 rally in West Mifflin, where Trump praised the Steelers quarterback as 'tall, handsome, got a great arm,' and predicted he was 'gonna be the guy' for Pittsburgh this season. Advertisement Howard was the main man under center for Ryan Day's championship-winning team. He threw for 4,010 yards, 35 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. He could soon find his role model, Aaron Rodgers, in Mike Tomlin's camp. If that happens, he could find himself slipping down the depth chart. Related: The No. 1 Quarterback Sends Strong Message During Big Georgia Weekend This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on May 31, 2025, where it first appeared.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Major update on Steelers star T.J. Watt's NFL future after huge exit hint
There has been a major update on the future of T.J. Watt, as arguably the Steelers' best player enters the final year of his contract, and he reportedly 'has an offer on the table.' Watt is an indispensable part of the Pittsburgh defense, and his four-year, $112million deal is up at the end of this season. Even while the Steelers figure out who to start at quarterback between Mason Rudolph, Will Howard, or possibly free-agent Aaron Rodgers, making sure they retain Watt may be an even bigger priority. Watt, 30, having a deal on the table from the Steelers was reported by Mark Kaboly, who has covered the team for a long time. Watt is currently absent from Pittsburgh's voluntary offseason workouts as he awaits a new contract. One of the NFL's elite defensive players likely wants to be paid as one, like the $40million annual deals, or higher, received by Maxx Crosby, Myles Garrett, and more. Watt stunned fans last month by hinting that he could be exiting the team on social media. Watt posted a photo, without a caption, to his Instagram story of him giving the peace sign, holding two fingers in the air. The sign is slang for goodbye, leaving doubt as to his Steel City future. The Steelers let last year's quarterback duo of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields go in free agency. The team also has not signed a true starting quarterback in free agency, leaving many doubts. Watt will demand huge money no matter where he goes, with Pittsburgh keen to keep the key cog of its roster. In letting Wilson and Fields go, the team should have the resources to get this deal done. Now it is only a matter of what Watt wants.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Donald Trump makes bold NFL prediction as QB gives him personal gift at rally... and it could be bad news for Aaron Rodgers
President Donald Trump gave an endorsement to Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph at a Friday night rally in the city, saying he's 'gonna be the guy' for the NFL franchise. Trump's prediction could be bad news for free agent Aaron Rodgers, as the Steelers looked like the best option left in the league for him to join. The Steelers only have Rudolph and Will Howard on their roster after letting Russell Wilson and Justin Fields walk this offseason. Rudolph was part of the Pittsburgh contingent to join Trump on stage, giving him a personalized Steelers jersey, alongside safety Miles Killebrew, and four-time Super Bowl champion Rocky Bleier. The 41-year-old Rodgers would bring a veteran presence to the locker room, with the team still leaving him unsigned nearly three months after the possibility first arose of bringing him in. 'I happen to think a really good quarterback is a man named Mason Rudolph,' Trump said. 'I think he's gonna get a big shot. He's tall, he's handsome, he's got a great arm. And I have a feeling he's gonna be the guy.' Rodgers looked to have plenty of options months ago for where he could possibly land as a free agent, including the Vikings, Giants, and Colts. Every team that could have needed a short-term answer at quarterback with Rodgers fitting the bill, except the Steelers, made a definitive move to sign another signal caller. The Steelers may be in less of a win-now mode than in seasons' past, with their trade of star wide receiver George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys as evidence. Head coach Mike Tomlin may want to develop a younger quarterback like Rudolph instead of a flyer on Rodgers to have postseason success in 2025. Trump's pledge to Rudolph comes with Rodgers' political past, where he is friends with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who was rumored to have considered the quarterback as a running mat during his third-party run for the White House.
