The sun set on the horizon as over 13,000 fans flocked to the Latrobe Memorial Stadium for the Pittsburgh Steelers’ annual Friday Night Lights practice. Before the night could end with the firecrackers, the sparks were visible in the shades of black and gold. Still, HC Mike Tomlin’s veteran addition– Aaron Rodgers could not lead the offense as well as we would’ve expected. His best throw was an uncorked hole shot down the left sideline that fell incomplete, hitting the receiver’s hands. But while the offense showed diligent work, it lost to the defense 4-3.

Already on Thursday, Rodgers and DK Metcalf connected on a crosser 20 yards downfield. Steelers beat reporter, Nick Farabaugh, called that session, “Sharpest day Rodgers has had so far.” However, returning to St. Vincent College on Saturday for a light non-padded practice, we saw the future Hall of Famer, Rodgers, not in his jersey, but in street clothes for veterans’ rest day.

In his place, taking the first team practice, was the Steeler who has been practicing as the QB1 for Pitts since before Rodgers signed. Mason Rudolph has known that perfecting the art of being ready is a storyline that runs with the NFL since his 2023 days. Then, he thrust the team to the playoffs with three consecutive wins after Kenny Pickett’s injury and an ineffective run by Mitch Trubisky. He still knew it in the camps before Rodgers signed with the Steelers. And his time has finally come again.

Steelers insider Brian Batko broke the news, tweeting, “Steelers 7 shotting with Mason Rudolph in for Aaron Rodgers (rest) as QB for the first-team offense • incomplete to Scotty Miller • TD snagged by big Darnell Washington • incomplete for Pat Freiermuth broken up by Chuck Clark and Cole Holcomb.”

After the practice, the QB said, “You just try to do the best you can with them. I thought we had a good day and moved the ball, took care of the ball. It’s always a quick turnaround with the Friday night (practice) and then getting yourself up for this one. But I thought the guys came out with a lot of energy.”

During Friday Night Lights, too, he threaded the needle on a deep ball between two defenders to TE Jonnu Smith for one of the best throws of the practice. In the first four practice camps as well, Mason Rudolph has completed 20 of 33 passes (60.6%) for 193 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He averaged 5.8 yards per attempt and 9.7 yards per completion during team 11‑on‑11 drills, second-best for his team.

Those sessions also show Rudolph logging 41 reps, behind only Aaron Rodgers’ 56, while exceeding rookie Will Howard’s total of 28. Rudolph has been the most aggressive deep passer so far and has earned significant work with both second- and first-team units, especially during Rodgers’ scheduled rest periods.

But while Rudolph’s surprise run with the first-team offense turned heads, it also highlighted deeper concerns brewing beneath the surface. Concerns that Mike Tomlin has now directly addressed.

Mike Tomlin comes clean on the Pittsburgh Steelers offensive crisis

The Steelers’ defensive playmakers, including Jalen Ramsey, Darius Slay, Juan Thornhill, and Patrick Queen, have consistently disrupted early offensive reps, grabbing attention in day-to-day drills. Still, speaking to reporters at camp, Tomlin downplayed the offense’s slow start and emphasized patience with his trademark calm.

On August 1, Tomlin was blunt about the testing’s early returns. He said, “I just think it’s usual for this time of year. Defenses usually develop a little faster than offenses. The get-to-know-you, the cohesion that’s required to be good, it’s just a component of it. No alarm bells there.”

The tight-end, Pat Freiermuth, on the other hand, is well aware that the offense needs to pick up the pace, “We wish it ended differently, but we’re working toward the end goal of Week 1 and being able to execute. There’s gonna be some ups and downs. We’ll get it corrected. We’ve always been good in two-minute [situations].” 

In the end, Mike Tomlin’s firm and composed stance reiterates that Pittsburgh’s quarterback situation is more about long-term development than daily fluctuations. The Steelers are not hitting the panic button on a slow-starting offense. With Rodgers adjusting to a new system and QBs like Rudolph and Howard getting valuable reps, the Steelers are using camp as a crucible, not a scoreboard.