Who Should I Start? Mason Rudolph or Will Levis

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, June 26, 3:02 PM

Tennessee Titans quarterback Will Levis finds himself as the backup quarterback to No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward, just one season after he was looking to establish himself as the franchise QB of the future. Levis showed a few flashes of upside in his 21 game appearances since being selected in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Kentucky, but overall, it hasn't been good enough. Levis has completed 61% of his passes for 3,899 yards, 21 touchdowns, and 16 interceptions en route to a 5-16 record as a starter. Still, Levis continues to have a positive attitude and outlook heading into 2025. "Will has been great with how he's handled this kind of new situation," offensive coordinator Nick Holz said. "Attitude-wise, he's a good dude and a good teammate. I give him a lot of credit for that because when you draft another quarterback with the No. 1 pick, it's not an easy situation." The latest rumors suggest the team is willing to keep Levis on the roster, but that could be a negotiating tactic to eventually trade him at the end of training camp. While his accuracy and decision-making have drawn plenty of criticism, he has top-tier arm talent and could use a fresh start.