The Pittsburgh Steelers fell to the Buffalo Bills 31-17 to end their 2023 season. The Steelers rode the hot hand of QB Mason Rudolph after three straight wins to get them into the playoffs, but the magic did not continue in Buffalo. His play was fine, not great, with 22 completions on 39 attempts for 229 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. The interception occurred in the end zone, which proved costly.
In his postgame press conference, Rudolph was asked if he would like to be back in Pittsburgh next season.
“I have no idea what’s gonna happen,” Rudolph said in a video of the press conference posted on the Steelers’ YouTube page. “None of us in there know what’s gonna happen tomorrow, much less next year.”
Rudolph signed a one-year contract extension this past offseason well after free agency had already begun. He didn’t attract much attention from other teams and started pondering his future after football with an eye on commercial real estate.
His three-game win streak to end the season creates an interesting scenario, especially when paired with his mediocre playoff performance. At the very least, he should demand some attention in free agency from other teams, and that could very well price him out of Pittsburgh if one or two teams show interest and drive the price up. Mike Tomlin has also reportedly called Pickett the starter, inferring that the team will go back to Pickett next season, so what kind of money do you want to lock up in Rudolph if his market gets hot?
“I love the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Rudolph said when asked if he would be willing to come back. “They’ve been my only home for six years. We’ll see what happens. Like I said, it’s not really my decision. A lot of it’s out of my control.”
QB Mitch Trubisky is as good as gone, given the size of his contract and the potential savings, so perhaps the Steelers will hedge their bet on Pickett and pay a backup good money for the role. The Steelers could also very well look to the draft at some point in the middle rounds for young competition in the room.
Rudolph may have played his last game as a member of the Steelers, but his final run turned around a season and dug the team out of a very dark place in the midst of a three-game losing streak. In four starts, Rudolph completed 77 passes on 113 attempts for 948 yards and five touchdown passes with just one interception in the playoff game earlier today.
