Steelers trade idea sends history-making $7.5 million QB to Dolphins

The Pittsburgh Steelers have already completed one noteworthy trade this offseason, sending a sixth-round pick (No. 214 overall) to the Indianapolis Colts for wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr. and a seventh-round pick (No. 230). 

Who’s to say the six-time Super Bowl winners won’t execute another deal that they deem impactful before the start of the 2026-27 campaign begins? Fansided’s Mark Powell believes that there’s a world where the Steelers cut ties with their history-making 30-year quarterback (in 2019, he became the first QB to win in NFL history to register his first two wins on Monday Night football).”

“Rodgers is QB1,” Powell wrote Thursday. “There will be no competition for his spot. The future Hall of Famer may have ranked in the bottom half of the league's starting QBs in most important metrics, but for Pittsburgh, that's the best quarterback play the Steelers have had since Ben Roethlisberger retired.”

“The real competitions will come between Will Howard and Mason Rudolph for QB2, and (Will) Howard and (Drew) Allar for QB3. You'll notice that Howard has plenty of potential to move up and down the depth chart. 

“This could push Rudolph, a 30-year-old veteran who was drafted by the Steelers, out the door for the second time in his career. What a Steelers-Dolphins trade for Mason Rudolph would look like (Rudolph and a 2027 second-round pick to the Dolphins for a 2027 fifth-round pick).”

It would be unfair to ignore the fact that Rudolph has had his moments as a Steeler. From recording a near-perfect game against the Cincinnati Bengals as a rookie to orchestrating a three-game winning streak down the stretch of the 2023-24 season to help the Steelers sneak into the playoffs, Rudolph has been highly impactful at times.

However, Rudolph, who joined the Tennessee Titans for a brief period before returning to Pittsburgh in 2025, is undoubtedly a misfit with the franchise. 

It’s likely the Steelers will want to keep the Oklahoma State product around, given that there are two young QBs on their roster whom the organization is believed to be excited about developing. 

Simply put, Powell’s early-May trade concept is far from head-scratching.

More NFL: 

• Steelers-Browns trade pitch sends $4 million Pro Bowl QB, Aaron Rodgers replacement to Pittsburgh

• Cowboys predicted to cut ties with George Pickens in favor of declining $10 million Bills WR

• Eagles named top landing spot for former Cowboys $21 million starter