Steelers trade rumor should be of interest to Cardinals, Buccaneers, Broncos originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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One thing’s certain for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2026-27: Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Aaron Rodgers will be the franchise’s starting quarterback for the second consecutive season.
The 42-year-old officially signed a one-year, $25 million deal with Pittsburgh last Monday, giving the franchise an obvious No. 1 QB option. That said, Rodgers’ signing could cause the organization to realize that they don’t need three quarterbacks sitting behind the future Hall of Fame signal-caller next year.
NFL.com’s Nick Shook took things a step further by suggesting that the Steelers could cut ties with Mason Rudolph, who doesn’t possess as high an upside as Will Howard and Drew Allar.
“I think when they’re looking at their franchise planning, they would like to have both options to develop (Will Howard and Drew Allar),” Shook stated shortly after Rodgers rejoined the Steelers. “Especially under McCarthy, as opposed to keeping Mason Rudolph. So, as it stands right now, if I had to lean in one direction, I would say they’re going to try to find a trade partner for Mason Rudolph at one point this summer.”
If the Steelers commit to moving on from Rudolph, the Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and Denver Broncos should be prepared to pursue him on the trade market.
The Cardinals are in a tricky situation with Jacoby Brissett in late May. The two parties aren’t seeing eye to eye on a ‘reworked deal’ for the upcoming campaign, which could lead to an unexpected split.
Of course, the Cardinals may feel comfortable handing the keys to third-round pick Carson Beck, but that doesn’t change the fact that adding Rudolph to the equation would be a wise move from a backup QB vantage point.
Regarding the Buccanners, turning to Jake Browning in an emergency wouldn’t be ideal for Tampa Bay. The 30-year-old had a rough 2025-26 season with the Cincinnati Bengals, finishing the year with 81 completions for 771 yards, six touchdowns, and eight interceptions, along with a lackluster 35.2 QBR.
Mason isn’t great by any means, which is why he’s never started a season as a franchise’s starting QB. That said, the Oklahoma State product has never thrown more interceptions than touchdowns in the big leagues, an accomplishment Browning doesn’t have the luxury of boasting about.
Lastly, the Broncos know that if Bo Nix goes down with a game-changing injury in the foreseeable future, the franchise won’t be in good hands. Jarrett Stidham may not have lost Denver the 2026 AFC Championship game vs. the New England Patriots, but he certainly didn’t make enough plays to help them prevail.
The 6-foot-3 QB completed 17 of his 31 passes for 133 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and one costly fumble in the Broncos’ 10-7 loss. Needless to say, trading for Rudolph would be a beneficial, depth-chart-bolstering decision for the organization.
At the end of the day, Rudolph’s status with the Steelers will be pivotal to track in the upcoming weeks.
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