It’s not a surprise, but if the Pittsburgh Steelers sign quarterback Russell Wilson, quarterback Mason Rudolph will not be with the Steelers in 2024, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac. Dulac first broke the news of Pittsburgh having interest in and meeting with Wilson. And he said on WDVE this morning that Rudolph, who started Pittsburgh’s final three 2023 regular-season games and playoff game against the Buffalo Bills, would look to go elsewhere if the Steelers do indeed sign Wilson.
“I don’t know this for certain, but I’m not sure that Mason Rudolph had any solid inclination that they were planning to meet with Russell Wilson. So I don’t know if discovering that, or unless they already knew, throws a wrench in their plans, but I have to think if Russell Wilson signs here, that he will look elsewhere,” Dulac said. “That being said, I don’t exactly think the league is gonna be beating down Mason Rudolph’s door, and last year, he thought he had some opportunities until after the draft, those things ran dry. If that happened again, I don’t know, maybe he’d come back as a number three.”
It’s unlikely to me that Rudolph would be content being the No. 3, and Dulac said that as it stands now, Rudolph is content being a No. 2 quarterback with a caveat.
“He’s ok being the number two for now as long as he’s gonna be given a chance to compete, that’s all he wants in training camp. So now if Russell Wilson’s there, he thinks, ‘Ok, I’m not gonna be given that chance, and I’m gonna look elsewhere,'” Dulac said.
The problem for Rudolph right now is that there aren’t a ton of teams with true quarterback needs. However, there are opportunities for him to be a No. 2 around the league. There are places he could probably go and compete, but the best path for Rudolph if he does want to be a No. 2 could be to sit behind someone like Aaron Rodgers with the New York Jets or Matthew Stafford with the Los Angeles Rams. Both of those guys have had injury issues the last two seasons — and neither is getting any younger — and Rudolph could have an opportunity to make a few starts.
Still, even that plan goes against what Dulac said Rudolph’s current goal is as he wouldn’t have the chance to compete in camp as those two are established starters. But if the Steelers bring in Wilson, their competition would be between Wilson and Pickett even with Rudolph playing better than Pickett down the stretch last season. The Steelers invested a lot in Pickett when they made him the 20th overall draft pick in 2022, and they still want to give him a chance even if they do bring in Wilson. So that would essentially shut the door on Rudolph, although Dulac left it open a crack and said he could come back if other opportunities did not materialize.
But unlike last offseason when Rudolph may have had some opportunities dry up before returning to Pittsburgh, he actually has tape from last season to show what he can do. Rudolph didn’t play at all in 2022, and when he got his shot in 2023, he made the most of it. I have a hard time believing after how he played last season that he’d be relegated to the No. 3 job once again, be it in Pittsburgh or elsewhere.
It’s no guarantee that Pittsburgh comes to an agreement with Wilson, and there’s a chance we’re sitting here next week with Rudolph under contract with the Steelers as the quarterback to compete with Pickett. But if Wilson does come in, Steelers fans may have to say goodbye to Rudolph after six seasons with the team.
