The Steelers’ 2023 season definitely didn’t end how anyone wanted with the team turning to Mason Rudolph to save the season after Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett disappointed. Rudolph was the best quarterback on the team last year, but when the playoffs came around, he and the rest of the offense couldn’t outgun the Buffalo Bills. Still, the team managed to make it much further than many people would have anticipated, and much of that is thanks to Rudolph. His time with the team reportedly didn’t end well, but it seems he isn’t holding too much of a grudge.
Rudolph signed with the Tennessee Titans this offseason, and in a recent interview via 104-5 The Zone’s Buck Reising’s Twitter account, Rudolph reflected on the opportunity he got with the Steelers late last year.
“Loved it, had a lot of fun. I’ve got a lot of great relationships with the guys in Pittsburgh, and we were able to clinch a playoff berth,” Rudolph said via Reising. “Didn’t get it done, didn’t play as well as we would’ve liked in the Wild Card [game], but I was happy with the way I played, the way we played. Feel like we kind of fed off each other there at the end.”
Rudolph went into last year as the third quarterback on the depth chart, so he was essentially playing with house money when the Steelers turned to him last December. He had nothing to lose, as he believed his football career was already over. Instead, he played well when called upon, throwing for 229 yards, two touchdowns, and only one interception in the playoff game. His level of play wasn’t outstanding, but it also wasn’t the reason the Steelers lost that game.
The Steelers have since completely overhauled their quarterback room in order to have a shot at being more successful, but that’s not because of Rudolph. After getting drafted in 2017, Rudolph had an up-and-down relationship with the Steelers. He had an opportunity to prove he could be the future after Ben Roethlisberger but ultimately struggled and was passed over for players like Trubisky and Pickett.
He never complained during his time in Pittsburgh though, keeping his head down and working hard, and he played well enough to save what looked like a lost 2023 season. Rudolph has managed to keep his career alive with the Titans, and much of that is thanks to his late-season heroics with the Steelers.
