Mason Rudolph stepped up in a big way for the Pittsburgh Steelers late in the season, and it’s looking like the Steelers are going to reward him for his efforts.
Rudolph is slated to hit free agency this offseason and may generate considerable interest based on how well he played in place of Kenny Pickett late in 2023.
However, during an appearance on The Ramon Foster Show, Rudolph said he was told by Pittsburgh that the club intends to bring him back for next season.
“Yeah, it was good. Visited with Mike T[omlin] and Omar [Khan] both and … it was so early, like three or four days after we played our last game, and there’s a lot neither side knows,” Rudolph told Foster, his former teammate. “I felt like they meant it when they said they’d like to have me back, and I feel like they want to do future business with me. That’s good to hear. But like you said, there are so many variables and it’s still so early, it’s still January, so who knows what will happen?”
Rudolph made four appearances and three starts this year, throwing for 719 yards and three touchdowns while completing 74.3 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 118. Most importantly, he won all three of his starts and led the Steelers to a playoff appearance.
Of course, just because Pittsburgh told Rudolph it wants him back does not guarantee his return.
The Steelers are still trying to figure out what they want to do under center heading into 2024, and Rudolph is certainly not the club’s first option. Pickett still seems to be ahead of him on the depth chart, and Pittsburgh has been mentioned as a potential destination for quarterbacks like Russell Wilson and Justin Fields.
There may be another team out there willing to give Rudolph a larger role next season, and if that ends up happening, Rudolph may very well depart Pittsburgh for what he feels are greener pastures.
The 28-year-old, who played his collegiate football at Oklahoma State, was selected by the Steelers in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Rudolph has played in 21 regular-season games and made 13 starts in Pittsburgh, totaling 3,085 yards, 19 touchdowns and 11 picks while completing 63.5 percent of his throws and registering a passer rating of 86.9. The Steelers have gone 8-4-1 in games started by Rudolph.
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