Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Trey Lance

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.

Thursday, July 31, 11:40 PM

Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Trey Lance made a strong statement in the Hall of Fame Game, completing 13-of-20 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for eight yards on three carries in Thursday's 34-7 victory over the Lions. Lance, who only started one game with Dallas last season, showed poise and good technique throughout the night, capitalizing on multiple Detroit turnovers. His first touchdown came on the Chargers' first drive, a perfect five-yard pass to Will Dissly. The 25-year-old added his second score just before halftime with a 15-yard slant to Keandre Lambert-Smith. While the performance was encouraging, Lance faced a Lions' backup defense and is still listed third on the depth chart behind Justin Herbert and Taylor Heinicke. Fantasy managers should be cautious not to overreact to the performance until further preseason games are played, but a strong start nonetheless from the former first-round pick of the 2021 draft.