Former NFL quarterback gives Steelers no shot with Mason Rudolph under center

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a brutal spot when it comes to quarterback Aaron Rodgers.

The Steelers have been waiting on Rodgers for a few months now, and if he does not sign and opts to retire, the team will be stuck with quarterback Mason Rudolph, who is a solid backup but not someone who can be relied upon as a full-time starter.

Following the 2025 schedule being released on Wednesday night, the folks over at ESPN broke down the Steelers' schedule and former NFL quarterback and analyst, Dan Orlovsky, said he thinks the Steelers could go 0-6 over their first six games if Rudolph is under center.

"I think you're staring at 0-6 in the face," Orlovsky said before both Louis Riddick and Peter Schrager basically agreed on Pittsburgh's negative outlook if Rudolph ultimately starts.

The Steelers' first six games are as follows:

• Week 1: at New York Jets
• Week 2: vs. Seattle Seahawks
• Week 3: at New England Patriots
• Week 4: vs. Minnesota Vikings
• Week 5: BYE
• Week 6: vs. Cleveland Browns
• Week 7: at Cincinnati Bengals

Lest these gentlemen forget, the Steelers' defense won't be too shabby, either, and it's not like that's a brutal gauntlet of quarterbacks to overcome.

We know what Justin Fields can and can't do for the Jets, the Browns don't even know who their starter will be, Sam Darnold is in a new offense in Seattle, and J.J. McCarthy and Drake Maye are unproven.

The only quarterback to be feared on that list is Joe Burrow. It would be shocking if the Steelers couldn't grab a win in one of those six games, no matter who is under center.

Now, do we expect the Steelers to be a playoff team with Rudolph as the starter? No, but they'll be good enough to avoid an 0-6 start.

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