Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Michael Penix Jr.

Friday, August 22, 10:43 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph completed six of his eight pass attempts for 36 scoreless yards and an interception in Thursday night's 19-10 preseason win over the Carolina Panthers. Rudolph took the field for the team's first three offensive possessions and could not get much of anything going. The Steelers punted twice in the first quarter before Rudolph opened the second period with an ill-advised throw to Ke'Shawn Williams that Carolina picked off. Rudolph's brief showing was quickly outshined by teammate Skylar Thompson, who led Pittsburgh on three straight scoring drives. Nonetheless, the 30-year-old Rudolph should be expected to maintain QB2 duties heading into the regular season as the most experienced backup on the roster, especially if rookie Will Howard (finger) is placed on IR.

Saturday, September 13, 12:56 AM

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. performed well in Week 1, completing 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards and a touchdown without throwing an interception, while also adding six rushes for 21 yards and a score. In Week 2, he'll have a road matchup with the Minnesota Vikings, who were tough against the run last season, allowing the second-fewest rush yards per game (93.2), and who only allowed 61 rush yards to non-quarterbacks in Week 1. It likely means the Falcons will lean on the pass again in this matchup, and the 25-year-old will have a full complement of receivers as Drake London (shoulder) and Darnell Mooney (shoulder) were both full participants in practice on Friday. The Vikings defense will be without a couple of pieces on Sunday, namely Andrew Van Ginkel (concussion), who nearly led the team in sacks in 2024 with 11.5, so the former first-round draft pick shapes up as a mid-range QB2 this week whose arrow is pointing up.