In May, the Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed a familiar face, quarterback Mason Rudolph. Rudolph is entering his sixth season in the NFL and is listed behind both second-year QB Kenny Pickett and seven-year QB Mitch Trubisky on the current depth chart. Rudolph has been a member of the Steelers his whole career. He was initially drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. On Tuesday morning, Rudolph spoke about this year's current quarterback room.
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Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (#2) preparing to make a throw during 2022 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
Rudolph made an appearance on the Breakfast With Benz podcast and was asked how big of a role his relationship with Pickett and Trubisky had on him returning to the Steelers. In his reply, Rudolph goes on to explain how close the guys really are with each other.
"Probably the most fun I had in a quarterback room thus far in my career last year, we all just get along."
Rudolph would continue on with his statement doubling down on his reasoning for making his return to the Steelers.
"Wouldn't you like to work with someone you enjoy spending time with? I definitely think that played into it for sure."
The decision to offer Rudolph a contract for the 2023 season was a shock to most of Steeler Nation. When Rudolph was originally drafted, the vision was for Rudolph to watch and learn behind now retired great, Ben Roethlisberger. He would spend the first few years of his career doing exactly this - giving security to the front office and all of Steeler Nation that the Steelers have found Roethlisberger's heir apparent.
During his four years of sitting behind Roethlisberger, Rudolph would start a total of just 10 games. During these starts, it would be then that it came quite clear that Rudolph would not be the best answer once Roethlisberger was to call it a career. Why is this? Well, including the 10 games Rudolph did start, he would throw a whopping total of 11 career interceptions. It then became clear that the Steelers still had some searching to do quarterback wise.
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Mason Rudolph against the Detroit Lions.
Steelers Quarterback Competition Begins
After the 2021 NFL season, the Steelers quarterback room had more questions than answers. With at the time Rudolph being the only viable option at quarterback, the Steelers knew there was work to be done. They would go on to sign former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills quarterback Trubisky. But, they weren't done there. During the 2022 NFL Draft, they then would select Pickett in the first round, 20th overall. And just like that, Rudolph would once again see himself in the shadows.
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Steelers quarterbacks throwing during the Steelers' 2022 OTA's.
Going into the 2022 training camp and preseason, the Steelers would have a full-blown "quarterback competition." With the fan favorite being Pickett, and the other having more starting experience, the odds were completely against Rudolph. Not shockingly, Rudolph was never even truly considered for the starting role, despite people claiming he was having a standout offseason.
Steelers Clearly Ready To Move On
After the 2022 NFL season, a season where Rudolph would never touch the field; it was thought that the Steelers front office was completely ready to move on from Rudolph. Therefore, the Steelers didn't renew his contract, and Rudolph entered free agency. However, Rudolph and the team ended up inking a deal. The current contract as it stands now is just for one year. After Rudolph appeared on the Breakfast With Benz podcast, it's pretty clear to see why he decided to come back.
Steelers' Rudolph "Comfortable" In Pittsburgh
It's also evident that Rudolph views everyone in the quarterback room as more than just co-workers. By saying he had the most fun he's ever had in his career last year in Pittsburgh proves that Rudolph cares more about the team than just himself. Having a player like Rudolph in a quarterback room does nothing but add more insight. With him already having experience sitting behind such a great like Roethlisberger, he'll now be able to spread all of the knowledge he learned to second-year quarterback, Pickett.
What kind of role do you believe Rudolph will play in the Steelers organization this year? Leave your thoughts down below in the comments!
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