Quarterback Mason Rudolph experienced a difficult first tenure at times with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But that didn’t prevent the signal-caller from returning to the team that drafted him this offseason.
On the first day of the voluntary offseason workouts Tuesday, Rudolph explained to reporters why he elected to come back to the Steelers in 2025.
“I just think it’s a special place,” Rudolph said, via Steelers.com’s Dale Lolley. “I’ve got a lot of great friends and teammates here, a lot of comfortability with Mike T (Tomlin) and the staff, and Omar [Khan] put together a great roster.
“Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this team and this offseason?”
The Steelers drafted Rudolph at No. 76 overall in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He received the opportunity to start for an injured Ben Roethlisberger in 2019, but three years later, the Steelers buried the quarterback on the depth chart behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.
Rudolph left the Steelers last offseason for a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans. This year, he agree to return to Pittsburgh on a two-year, $7.5 million contract.
Mason Rudolph Holds Familiar ‘Unfamiliar’ Role With Steelers
The Steelers began OTAs on Tuesday. For the first time in seven different seasons with Pittsburgh, Rudolph took first-team reps on the first day of those workouts.
As of May 27, Rudolph sits at the top of the team’s quarterback depth chart. The Steelers also have 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard and 2022 seventh-rounder Skylar Thompson at quarterback on the roster.
NFL pundits, though, still expect the Steelers to sign Aaron Rodgers. If that happens, Rudolph will slide into the backup role behind center.
That gives Rudolph an unclear job for the 2025 campaign, but that’s a position he is very used to.
“That’s nothing new to me. There’s been constant noise,” Rudolph said of the Steelers possibly signing Rodgers or another quarterback to start. “That is the nature of the NFL. So I am used to that for a long time. Now, I’m doing nothing but being the best I can be to help our team get better this spring.”
Rudolph had that kind of uncertainty a little bit with the Titans last season as well. Will Levis began the season as Tennessee’s starting quarterback in 2024. Rudolph replaced Levis because of injury from Weeks 7-9.
Rudolph then started again when the Titans benched Levis in December.
The veteran quarterback went 1-4 as a starter with Tennessee during 2024. Over his first six seasons with the Steelers, he posted a 8-4-1 record.
In eight appearances last season, Rudolph completed 64% of his passes for an average of 6.7 yards per attempt. He also had nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Steelers Will Add QB Whether or Not Aaron Rodgers Signs?
According to The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac, the Steelers have had an offer on the table to Rodgers for roughly two and a half months. Yet, Pittsburgh is still waiting for an answer.
NFL insiders, such as ESPN’s Adam Schefter, have said Rodgers will likely sign before the team’s mandatory minicamp begins on June 10.
While on stage at a concert on May 23, Rodgers delivered cryptic messages that could be interpreted as he intends to sign with the Steelers. For other teams, he wasn’t so nice. Rodgers flat out stated he wouldn’t play for the New Orleans Saints.
But even if Rodgers doesn’t sign with the Steelers, Pittsburgh may add a quarterback to replace Rudolph as the team’s starter.
“I had some conversations with people this week that led me to believe that Cousins is, at the very least, on the Steelers’ radar if something were to fall through on Rodgers,” Fowler said on SportsCenter on Monday. “Cousins has $37.5 million in guarantees between this year and next year.
“Somebody’s on the hook for that money, whether it’s $4 million, $20 million, whatever it is.”
That money has reportedly been a sticking point in Cousins trade negotiations for NFL teams this offseason.
So while Rodgers, and even Cousins, are likely targets for Pittsburgh, there’s a possibility neither lands with the Steelers, and Rudolph remains at the top of the depth chart.
Rudolph sounds ready for the opportunity.
