Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Spencer Rattler

Wednesday, May 28, 11:59 AM

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph opened OTAs with the first-team offense on Tuesday, according to Brooke Pryor of ESPN. This news isn't much of a surprise, but it does confirm head coach Mike Tomlin's vision as full-team practices get underway this summer. Presumably, the starting quarterback job is Rudolph's to lose, barring an external quarterback addition such as Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins. Rudolph's internal competition comes from Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard. Thompson has completed just 58.7 percent of his career passes with one touchdown, three interceptions, and two fumbles. He primarily served as a backup over three seasons in Miami. Meanwhile, Howard is a rookie who impressed at Ohio State, but he has suboptimal draft capital as a sixth-round pick. On the other hand, Rudolph has shown flashes of potential during his time with the Steelers (2018-2023) and Titans (2024). In Tennessee last year, he completed 64 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions.

Wednesday, July 23, 3:07 PM

With Derek Carr's retirement this offseason, the New Orleans Saints are splitting first-team reps between Spencer Rattler and rookie Tyler Shough. Rattler will get Wednesday's reps while Shough will receive first-team reps on Thursday. Rattler completed just 57% of his passes last season, tossing four touchdowns and five picks in seven appearances. Shough, a strong-armed rookie from Louisville, was selected 40th overall by the Saints in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft and is competing with Rattler for the Saints' starting quarterback gig. With no clear leader emerging, this competition could stretch through training camp. The uncertainty under center adds risk to the fantasy outlooks of Alvin Kamara and Chris Olave, both of whom depend heavily on quarterback efficiency for consistent volume and red-zone production.