Reunion Between Steelers And Mason Rudolph Likely Depends On Decision Between Russell Wilson And Justin Fields

The Pittsburgh Steelers must decide who will lead the offense in 2025 very soon. The fact that Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were both in the Steel City on one-year contracts means they are both free agents and allowed to pursue futures with other teams. Both quarterbacks have their defenders and detractors, as both have positive and negative attributes. 

The Steelers' top brass have clarified that they prefer to bring one back. After General Manager Omar Khan painted himself into a corner in 2024 with comments about Kenny Pickett's future with the team, he would unlikely want to commit again to that fully. However, this has left the door open for the Steelers to be linked to every other possible quarterback in the league who is available, including some talk of a potential reunion with longtime backup Mason Rudolph.  

In a recent edition of Gerry Dulac's chat column, he was asked about Rudolph, and he responded that a reunion isn't entirely far-fetched. However, "you have to wonder how much Mason can tolerate with the Steelers." His Pittsburgh Post-Gazette counterpart, Ray Fittipaldo, recently spoke with the Pomp and Joe Show and was asked about Dulac's comment on Rudolph.  

"The thing I keep coming back to, and it's going to depend on whether they chose Russell Wilson or Justin Fields," said Fittipaldo about a possible Rudolph reunion. "You do remember what Art [Rooney II] said; he said he'd like to get a similar quarterback as the backup. So, I suppose if you keep Russ, Mason would make sense as the backup. I think they're more similar at this point. If you choose Justin Fields, then Mason certainly doesn't fit as that type of backup, does he?"

When Team President Art Rooney II met with the media earlier this year, he not only said that he wanted to retain either Wilson or Fields, but also that he would like to have the backup have similar skills to the starting quarterback. When Wilson went down with a calf injury before training camp even kicked off, Fields had to step up and take his place. This had to have thrown a wrench in the plans of then-new Offensive Coordinator Arthur Smith, who was building an offense around an aging former Super Bowl winner and now had pivoted to a younger, more athletic quarterback with a propensity to run. 

Rudolph was drafted in 2018 as the possible heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. Unfortunately, bad blood between the two may have prevented him from getting a shot, and Rudolph's career never really took root. Then, in 2023, after both Pickett and Mitch Trubisky failed to win games, the team handed Rudolph the reins, and he performed a miracle, winning the final three regular season games and taking them to a Wild Card contest against the Buffalo Bills. While Rudolph and the Steelers lost in the postseason, he performed well enough to make people wonder if he should get another shot. Most insiders feel that Rudolph felt the Steelers handled his situation poorly, stringing him along and then letting him go, so he may not be interested in a reunion.

The Steelers Won't Foot The Bill For Matthew Stafford

Since the Steelers have a hefty chunk of money available via this year's salary cap, many fans believe they should spend it to acquire Matthew Stafford. Recently, it was reported that both the Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants have spoken with Stafford and are willing to pay him $45-50 million yearly. Since then, new reports have emerged that Stafford should be staying in Los Angeles.

Regardless, that's too rich for the Steelers' blood, said Fittipaldo, and it isn't just because they are "cheap." He said while $60 million in cap space sounds like a lot, the team has a lot of needs and can't blow nearly all of it on a quarterback. He said he thinks they will likely sign Fields for $15 million a year and will perhaps go a little higher for Wilson. 

Would you want to see a Steelers-Rudolph reunion? Tell us what you think below!

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