The Pittsburgh Steelers have a number of things to figure out at the quarterback position this offseason. With QB Mitch Trubisky likely to be a cap casualty, and QB Mason Rudolph set to enter free agency as an unrestricted free agent, there is a lot of work to be done to fill out the roster and provide competition to QB Kenny Pickett. The NFL Network’s Insiders posted a QB roundup on Sunday morning to provide the latest on what is expected to happen with the quarterback market this season. They said Rudolph is likely to pursue a fresh start. Here is what was written:
“Rudolph, who will be a free agent next month, has indicated he’s interested in a fresh start after six seasons with the team that drafted him in the third round in 2018.”
If that ends up being the case, they also stated the “expectation” is that veteran QB Ryan Tannehill will be pursued in free agency due to his ties to Steelers offensive coordinator Arthur Smith from their time together in Tennessee. Tannehill’s career was middling over his first six years with the Miami Dolphins before he went to Tennessee and enjoyed a Pro Bowl season in 2019 under Smith as the OC.
Team President Art Rooney II and head coach Mike Tomlin have separately expressed interest in bringing Rudolph back. Given that he is an unrestricted free agent, they have no control over whether he shops the market and explores what he can get from other teams. If he truly wants a fresh start, he is very likely to be able to find one elsewhere around the league. If the Steelers want to retain him, they would need to make a competitive offer and also likely assure him that he has a real chance at competing for the starting job.
Since Trubisky arrived prior to the 2022 season, Rudolph was the third quarterback on the depth chart and barely got a chance to compete to better his position with a majority of practice reps and training camp looks going to Pickett and Trubisky. For what it’s worth, Tomlin stated that Pickett “will be challenged with competition” when asked in his end-of-season press conference shortly after the Steelers’ playoff loss.
Rudolph did a lot for his value as a free agent over the final three regular season games in the 2023 season. Last year, he circled back to Pittsburgh on a one-year deal after receiving little interest around the league. Three wins to propel the Steelers into the playoffs and solid passing statistics in those performances will likely provide Rudolph more interest this time around.
In three starts, Rudolph completed 55 of 74 attempts for 719 yards and three touchdowns, leading the Steelers to back-to-back performances of 30 points or more.
