Mason Rudolph is reportedly returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The reserve quarterback is expected to re-sign with the Steelers. according to several reports. Rudolph, 27, remains a free agent two months after his free agency.
The Steelers selected Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 draft as Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement and potential successor. Since then he has played 17 games for Pittsburgh, including ten in the starting XI. However, he did not win the starting spot after Roethlisberger retired in 2022. In fact, he didn’t win the backup role.
The Steelers drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round of 2022 and signed former Chicago Bears starter Mitchell Trubisky in the same offseason. Trubisky won, eventually ceding the starting role to Pickett, who will retain the starting position next season.
Rudolph was relegated to the third string. He wasn’t happy about that and felt he deserved more first-team dedication at training camp.
“I think it’s kind of in the rearview mirror now,” Rudolph said after his demotion last September, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I would have liked to have had more first-team representatives but decisions are being made. I’m going ahead
“Listen, I’m a much better player than I was in first through fifth grade. I have confidence and am pleased with myself when I got the reps. I will do anything I am asked to do. Otherwise, I guess I’ll just keep the clipboard.”
Mason Rudolph is reportedly returning to the Steelers. (Eric Hartline/Portal)
Now he’s reportedly back again, where he’ll presumably be the third-string signaller again. Pickett has a firm grip on the starting role while Trubisky remains Pittsburgh’s backup. Neither the Steelers nor Rudolph have looked into the reports.
During his career, Rudolph completed 61.5% of his passes for 2,366 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Steelers are 5-4-1 in the games Rudolph started.