Cam Heyward Backs Mason Rudolph if He’s Steelers Starter: ‘I Think We Feel Good About It’
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro defensive tackle Cam Heyward gave a blunt message to the four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers on the latest episode of his Not Just Football podcast. He’s tired of waiting around.
“I ain’t doing that darkness retreat. I don’t need any of that crap,” Heyward said. “Either you want to be a Pittsburgh Steeler or you don’t. That’s simple, that’s the pitch. If you want me to recruit, that’s the recruiting pitch. Pittsburgh Steelers — if you want to be part of it, so be it. If you don’t, no skin off my back.”
If Mason Rudolph ends up being the starter, so be it. Heyward has full confidence in Rudolph leading the team under center.
“Mason’s a good dude. I think Mason proved to a lot of Steelers fans, not just this past year, but last year when he stepped in for us, that he was ready. You know, if we don’t sign a quarterback, and we go in the year with Mason, I think we feel good about it,” Heyward said. “Excited to have him back. He’s really a guy for the locker room, and a lot of guys vibe with him. So to bring him back, part of the group is special.”
Heyward just wants to move forward and focus on the rest of the 2025 offseason. He’s tired of hearing about the endless chatter of the Steelers’ quarterback situation.
“I just want to play football. I’m tired of talking about the quarterback situation. I’d rather have it done,” Heyward said. “I don’t know what ends up happening. I’m ready to move on in free agency.”
Rudolph, 29, was selected with the No. 76 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He spent the first six years of his career in Pittsburgh before spending last season with the Tennessee Titans.
It was a season to forget for Rudolph, as he was 1-4 as a starter and Tennessee finished a disastrous 3-14.
In total, Rudolph played in eight games. On the season, he completed 64.0% of his passes for 1,530 yards with nine touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a passer rating of 55.5.
Rudolph, 28, was drafted in the third round by the Steelers out of Oklahoma State in 2018. He spent six seasons in Pittsburgh, playing in 21 games and making 13 starts. In six seasons with Pittsburgh, Rudolph completed 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 86.9.
His most extensive playing time came in 2019, when he was the backup to Ben Roethlisberger and was thrust into a starting role when Roethlisberger was lost for the season to an elbow injury in the first half of Week 2.
Rudolph started eight games and completed 176 of 283 passes (62.2%) for 1,765 yards (6.2 yards per attempt) and an 82.0 passer rating. Rudolph dealt with two injuries of his own that forced him from action, and he was benched at one point during the season for former fourth-stringer Devlin “Duck” Hodges.
Rudolph’s career was at a crossroad in 2023. He even admitted that he thought about his life’s work, complementing retirement and pursuing a career in commercial real estate. All it took was one chance for Rudolph to resurrect his career. After replacing Mitch Trubisky in Week 16, he completed 55 of 75 (74.3%) for 719 yards (10.5 yards per attempt) and a 118.0 quarterback rating. He led the Steelers to three straight victories and a playoff spot, before losing in the Wild Card round to the Buffalo Bills.