You can’t toss a chair in Sharky’s without hitting a beat writer who thinks Mason Rudolph is a legitimate starter. His preseason debut following his return to the Steelers didn’t dissuade any off that notion—nor should it have, granted. While many Steelers fans wanted to see him start, he must content himself with backing up Aaron Rodgers. He seems okay with that, actually.
But count Mark Kaboly among those who believe the Steelers would be in good hands with Rudolph. Whether holding up a jackfruit or the Steelers, he has the city of Pittsburgh behind him. And Saturday’s preseason game only reinforced Kaboly’s confidence in the eighth-year quarterback.
“How much is Mason Rudolph going to have to do for people to admit that he’s a pretty good quarterback?”, Kaboly wrote via X. “I have no reservations that if something happens to Aaron Rodgers that Rudolph can come in and be very successful. It is still shocking to me that nobody was all over him when he left Tennessee last year”. He added, “Rudolph can be a mid-level starter in this league and, for my money, he’s the best backup in the NFL”.
Kaboly: Takeaways from a meaningless yet meaningful dominant Steelers preseason win
Mark Kaboly / Steelers Correspondent
For The @PatMcAfeeShow
(Takeaways from a sports writer (not a sports journalist) who is here to painfully remind you that it was only a preseason game… pic.twitter.com/Eb6dlGWmv7
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) August 10, 2025
A third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Mason Rudolph has a 9-8-1 starting record across seven seasons. That includes a 1-4 record in 2024 with the Tennessee Titans, during which he posted a 9:9 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Rudolph earned his red nose in the final three games of the 2023 season with the Steelers. During that unlikely run, he went 53-of-71 for 716 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. Pittsburgh went 3-0 during that span and advanced to the postseason, where he had a more mixed result.
After that season, the Steelers cleared the deck—or rather, their quarterback room. They traded Kenny Pickett and released Mitch Trubisky. After pursuing Russell Wilson, Mason Rudolph signed with the Titans. Now back in Pittsburgh after a one-year layover, he admits he didn’t expect a reunion to happen so quickly.
Rudolph did lead the Steelers through most of the offseason, Aaron Rodgers not signing until minicamp. And by all accounts, he has played well and conducted himself well throughout the entire process. Although he didn’t have the results he wanted last year in Tennessee, he has looked like the same Rudolph as the Steelers last knew him.
Playing just 14 snaps in Jacksonville, Rudolph went 9-of-10 for 84 yards in the Steelers’ preseason opener on Saturday. He capped his first drive with a 19-yard touchdown pass to TE Darnell Washington, though his second drive went less smoothly. After two successful plays, he took an unnecessary coverage sack. After Kaleb Johnson dropped his 2nd-and-10 attempt, they couldn’t do much. He should see more extensive time in the Steelers’ next preseason game, however, unless Aaron Rodgers plays.
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