After serving as the Pittsburgh Steelers No. 3 quarterback for the past two years, Mason Rudolph has graduated to the top backup spot with the Tennessee Titans. Seemingly having an edge on Malik Willis all camp, Rudolph’s No. 2 spot was cemented earlier today when the Titans dealt Willis to the Green Bay Packers for a 7th-round pick.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport confirmed the trade and compensation.
The Titans drafted Willis in the third round of the 2022 draft, a promising and high-upside quarterback the Steelers evaluated before drafting Kenny Pickett. After Rudolph lost out to Pickett in Pittsburgh, he defeated a fellow quarterback from that ’22 class in Willis.
Rudolph never became the Steelers’ franchise quarterback they once envisioned him to be, but he earned high marks for his consistent professionalism. Drafted in the third round of the 2018 draft, Rudolph got the opportunity to prove himself during the 2019 season when Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury. Like the rest of the offense that year, Rudolph had a bumpy ride but became a better quarterback for it. And it was Rudolph who guided the Steelers into the playoffs in 2023, coming off the bench to win the final three games and make the Wild Card round.
Signing a one-year deal with the Titans this offseason, Rudolph reportedly had a bright summer, impressing with his accuracy and showing more “gamer” ability in extended play situations than previously credited for. He finished the preseason, completing 63 percent of his passes for 365 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He led one game-winning drive to beat the Seattle Seahawks 16-15 in Week 2 of the preseason.
The Steelers and Titans aren’t slated to face each other in the regular season, meaning the only way Rudolph could face his former team is through a playoff matchup.
All three of the Steelers’ quarterbacks rostered last season will begin as backups on their new teams. Rudolph in Tennessee, Pickett in Philadelphia, and Mitch Trubisky in Buffalo, though he suffered a multi-week knee injury against Pittsburgh in the preseason.
The Steelers’ brand new quarterback room will consist of Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen in the hopes of better results from the get-go as opposed to finding a hot streak late in the year.
