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Steelers Reunite with QB as Wait Continues on Aaron Rodgers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are reuniting with quarterback Mason Rudolph as they wait on a decision from Aaron Rodgers.
Quarterback Mason Rudolph is back to save the day once again. The former third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers is returning to the Steel City on a two-year, $8 million deal, according to NFL Network insiders Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport.
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 joining the Tennessee Titans in 2024.
The addition of Rudolph makes a ton of sense for the Steelers, who are stuck waiting on a decision from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He now gives Pittsburgh some much-needed quarterback insurance if Rodgers doesn’t ultimately choose to join the Steelers.
That doesn’t mean the team is completely out on Rodgers, though. Garafolo added that the Steelers remain in the mix for him, but value Rudolph and want him to be a part of their quarterback mix no matter what.
In six seasons with Pittsburgh, Rudolph completed 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
His most extensive playing time came in 2019, when he was the backup to Ben Roethlisberger and was thrust into the starting role when Roethlisberger was lost for the season due 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), 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions. 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 returned to a backup role after that, making one start each behind Roethlisberger in 2020 and 2021. In 2022, he entered a three-way competition for quarterback with free agent Mitch Trubisky and first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett and finished in third. He was active for just one game all season and did not make an appearance.
Rudolph’s career was at a crossroad in 2023. He admitted that he thought about his life’s work, complementing retirement and pursuing a career in commercial real estate. However, he chose to continue playing football.
After receiving no significant offers, he decided to return to Pittsburgh to again be the No. 3 quarterback, and it turned out to be the right decision.
Pickett was lost to a high-ankle sprain late in the season, and Trubisky struggled in two starts, so the Steelers turned to Rudolph for the final three games of the regular season.
Rudolph responded with the best play of his career, completing 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.
Rudolph’s strong 2023 season got him some offers in free agency that weren’t there the previous year, and he landed a one-year contract with the Titans. In 2024, he threw for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in eight games.