Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Mason Rudolph is the worst veteran starter in the NFL, Pro Football Focus says. Rudolph ranks as No. 31 out of 32 starters, only ahead of the Saints’ Tyler Shough, a rookie.
PFF says that Rudolph’s rough tenure in Tennessee, along with his mediocre resume over his seven-year NFL career, suggests that he is more of a backup than a true starting quarterback.
“After spending his first six seasons in Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph spent a year in Tennessee before returning on a two-year deal with the Steelers. With just 850 career dropbacks and only 22 big-time throws to his name, Rudolph is firmly established as a career backup. Given that the Steelers selected Will Howard in the sixth round, it’s likely we’ll see the rookie take the field before the season is over,” John Kosko of PFF wrote.
Of course, everything said here is thrown out the window if the Steelers sign Aaron Rodgers, who has given the team no indication yet on when he will decide. Rodgers said he was dealing with personal issues, and would not commit to a team until then.
Rudolph went 1-4 in his starts in 2024, throwing nine touchdowns and nine intercpetions while amassing 1530 over the year.
Rudolph’s time with the Steelers was up and down, and he never got an extended chance until 2023 following a rough 2019 in his second season. The NFL is a business, and oftentimes, the depth chart can be predicted by financial compensation. Rudolph has been hardened by the business s as a result, but would not change anything.
Rudolph’s breakout three games came at the end of the 2023 season, where he led the Steelers from 7-7 to 10-7 and a playoff berth, where they would lose to the Buffalo Bills.
The Steelers drafted Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. He stayed with the team through the 2023 season after a second lease on his NFL life.