With the Steelers’ offer to Aaron Rodgers still on the table, they hope they’ll be landing an elite quarterback if he signs. According to second-year receiver Roman Wilson, though, the Steelers already have one in Mason Rudolph.
“I love him, he’s a great guy,” Wilson said Tuesday while speaking to the media after the Steelers’ first OTA practice, via the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I think he’s an elite quarterback. Really locked in, bought in. Everybody likes him a lot. He’s a good dude.”
With Rodgers not in the building yet, Rudolph is taking first-team reps. The Steelers brought Rudolph back due to the mutual familiarity there. He was also re-signed as a precaution in case Rodgers doesn’t end up joining the team. With OTAs now underway, and Rodgers not being in the building, the possibility of Rudolph starting seems to be growing slightly.
However, there is plenty of offseason left. Even if Rodgers doesn’t sign, the Steelers could still look elsewhere to fill out their quarterback room. Omar Khan has repeatedly mentioned that he wants to bring four quarterbacks to training camp. There’s only three on the roster right now. Kirk Cousins could be an option for that fourth and final spot.
However, the Steelers could do worse than Mason Rudolph. He’s clearly a good personality to have in the locker room. Wilson’s high praise shows that, despite being Rudolph’s teammate for the first time this offseason.
If Rudolph does start, Pittsburgh will surely hope he plays better than he did in 2024. With the Tennessee Titans, Rudolph started five games and won just one of those. He also threw the same number of touchdowns passes (nine) as interceptions. Granted, he didn’t have a lot to work with on that offense. Still, calling Rudolph elite after that year is certainly an interesting way to look at things.
That said, Mason Rudolph’s last stint in Pittsburgh was impressive. He took over for the final three games back in 2023 and won all of them. That helped the Steelers force their way into the playoffs. The Steelers hope Rudolph’s familiarity with the franchise, as well as his reputation in the locker room can help elevate the offense if he needs to start.
All things considered, it’s good to hear things like this from Wilson. Right now, DK Metcalf is the only credible threat at wide receiver. With him not at OTAs Tuesday, Wilson and Calvin Austin III got the bulk of the reps. That provides plenty of time for Wilson and Rudolph to get to know each other. It seems like that’s going well so far.
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