Pittsburgh Steelers’ long-time back up quarterback, Mason Rudolph is set to hit free agency again this offseason, after being on the market last year when the team decided to re-sign him for one more season. Rudolph was Pittsburgh’s superhero in 2023, as he led the Steel City to the playoffs when all hope seemed lost. It’s been said that Rudolph would like a fresh start somewhere else, but did he show enough to the rest of the league that he can be the guy?
Almost all of the Steelers talk since their season ended in Buffalo has been about the quarterback position. Head Coach Mike Tomlin stated in one of his final pressers that Kenny Pickett will still be the guy moving forward, although Rudolph’s play was definitely eye-catching. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor says Rudolph should still be a backup via the Two on OSU podcast, wherever that may be.
“I don’t know if he’s good enough to be a surefire starter. I don’t see him being able to sign somewhere and being anointed,” Pryor revealed.
Rudolph came in for the Steelers after losing three straight with Mitch Trubisky at the helm. The offense finally clicked with Rudolph after not showing anything offensively consistently all season. Rudolph was able to start the last three regular season games and their only playoff game in the Wild Card round. During the four-game stretch, Rudolph threw for five touchdowns and just one interception. Is that enough out of four games to prove that he is a solidified starter? Pryor says probably not.
“I really wish we would’ve gotten that fifth game out of him as a starting quarterback because that fifth, sixth game is kind of where the glass either shatters or is solidified.”
Steelers’ Mason Rudolph Wants To Be Starter Somewhere
Coach Tomlin and the Steelers have expressed interest in bringing Rudolph back, but he would not necessarily be the starter. A big question that is probably on Rudolph’s mind is does anyone else in the league think he could start for them? While he played some good games, those games mostly came from playing against some of the worst defenses in the league. Rudolph was able to lead the Steelers’ offense to over 30 points in back to back games against the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks.
Unfortunately for Rudolph, the Steelers’ season ended when they were in a 21-0 deficit to the Buffalo Bills in the playoffs and could not recover. They cut it close to 24-17, but still came away with the loss, ending their season. Had Rudolph won this game, teams across the league would likely be calling for his name left and right. The Steelers were massive underdogs in that game, especially since defensive star TJ Watt was out with an injury. If Rudolph led them to a victory in Buffalo however, it would have possibly solidified a starting role for him elsewhere. Not only that, but this would have given the league another game to look at Rudolph, like Pryor stated previously.
One more game for Rudolph against the Baltimore Ravens for the second time within three weeks would have been the make it or break it deal for the quarterback. Now, there are still questions with Rudolph’s ability to be a full-time starter for an NFL franchise. Rudolph has always been a confident player, so the veteran should be up for any challenges he faces going forward.
Since being drafted in 2018, the Steelers have given Rudolph more than plenty of chances to show what he’s got, and ultimately to see if he can be a starting quarterback – the one that the organization has been looking to replace since quarterback Ben Roethlisberger retired. The back up has had some ups and downs with the chances he was given, but nonetheless, has it been enough?
