Who Should I Start? Nate Sudfeld or Mason Rudolph

Friday, August 9, 3:30 AM

Detroit Lions quarterback Nate Sudfeld completed just 13 of 24 passes for 96 yards, zero touchdowns, and one interception during Thursday's preseason opener against the New York Giants. He also rushed three times for an additional 14 yards on the ground. The 30-year-old played most of the game, only ceding reps to Hendon Hooker (head) in the third quarter. (Hooker departed after two drives and entered concussion protocol, bringing Sudfeld back into the game.) Neither player led a touchdown drive, and while Hooker was quite impressive on the ground, his new injury could give Sudfeld the early advantage in the fight to be Jared Goff's backup. If Hooker is expected to miss time, Detroit could add another quarterback to compete with Sudfeld ahead of the 2024 campaign.

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.