With the NFL League Meetings underway in Florida, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin addressed the media today for the first time since January. With Pittsburgh’s quarterback pursuit focused on QB Aaron Rodgers, the team also signed QB Mason Rudolph, who spent 2018-2023 in Pittsburgh before joining the Tennessee Titans last year. Per Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, Tomlin was asked if Mason Rudolph could be “the guy,” and he responded positively.
“I think that’s why we reacquired him. We like Mason Rudolph, but you know, that’s no secret.”
After about 100 questions about Aaron Rodgers, Mike Tomlin was asked if Mason Rudolph could be the guy:
"I think that's why we reacquired him. We like Mason Rudolph, but you know, that's no secret."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) March 30, 2025
Rudolph isn’t a stranger to starting games, as he’s started 18 games in his career. The bulk of that experience came in 2019, when he went 5-3 in eight starts with Ben Roethlisberger out for the season after elbow surgery. He also started four games in 2023 for the Steelers, three in the regular season and one in the playoffs, going 3-1 before signing with the Titans and starting five games last season.
It’s not new to him and he’s gotten better throughout his career, and his 3-0 run at the end of the regular season to get the Steelers into the playoffs in 2023 is still fresh in a lot of people’s minds. While Rudolph could handle it, it doesn’t seem as if Pittsburgh’s plan this offseason was for Rudolph to start, given they pursued re-signing Justin Fields and are now actively pursuing Aaron Rodgers.
But it’s not a bad move to bring back someone familiar with the city and who has been a starter before amidst quarterback uncertainty. The Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph in 2018, back when they traded up to take him after reportedly having a first-round grade on him, so Tomlin isn’t lying when he says that the team likes Rudolph a lot.
Starting him isn’t what the Steelers had planned heading into the offseason though, and if it does happen, the team’s quarterback process will draw a lot of scrutiny and a lot of questions. Right now, Rudolph would be in line to start if Rodgers spurns Pittsburgh either via retirement or signing elsewhere, and while he may be capable, Pittsburgh clearly feels there’s a better option out there.
While Mason Rudolph is familiar in Pittsburgh, he’s never worked under offensive coordinator Arthur Smith, who was hired last offseason. He’s still going to be learning a new scheme even though he’s been with Pittsburgh before, but the Steelers could be confident that Smith’s scheme will help Rudolph improve from what he showed during his prior tenure in Pittsburgh. He left the Steelers on a positive note after the 2023 run, and if he does wind up starting, maybe he can recapture some of that magic.
Recommended for you