At the moment, it feels like the Pittsburgh Steelers have a good chance of signing Aaron Rodgers. However, if they don’t sign Rodgers, who will be their starting quarterback in 2025? It doesn’t feel like a Russell Wilson reunion is on the table. There aren’t many other quality starting quarterbacks left on the market. Reportedly, the Steelers would be fine riding with Mason Rudolph as their starter. Former NFL offensive lineman Mike Golic Jr. would not like that move, though.
“Mason Rudolph’s been here before,” Golic said Monday on his Golic and Golic podcast. “This locker room is behind him. I get all that stuff from his standpoint because the guys in the locker room should believe we can win with who we’ve got because we’re a team with that kind of pedigree and we’re a team that’s got great coaching and all the things the Steelers have to sell.
“But if you root for that football team, I feel like if they trotted Mason Rudolph out there again, I’d go insane if I was a fan of that team. Just feeling like you’re on this conveyor belt that keeps getting you back to the same place.”
Golic makes a fair point. Starting Rudolph shouldn’t inspire a lot of confidence in the fan base. He was with the team from 2018 to 2023, and in that time, he started 13 games, going 8-4-1. That is decent in a vacuum, but a lot of the credit for those wins should go to the Steelers’ defense. Rudolph threw 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with Pittsburgh. Those aren’t incredible numbers.
However, Rudolph did play better during his last year with the Steelers. In his three starts to end the 2023 season, Rudolph threw for 719 yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions. He helped Pittsburgh make the playoffs.
Although the following postseason game did not go well for the Steelers, Rudolph played alright. He wasn’t a game changer, but it’s tough to say he was the reason they lost. Perhaps he could give them decent play as the starter for the entire 2025 season.
That’s probably not good enough, though. The Steelers’ ceiling with Rudolph under center feels limited. It’s very unlikely that they’d be able to beat the AFC’s best teams with him starting. Golic is correct that it might feel like the Steelers are back at square one. Even if they make the playoffs, they’d likely be facing another first-round exit.
Most fans are sick of seeing the Steelers make the playoffs just to get crushed instantly. The team’s standard is championships, and this season might feel like it’s over before it begins if Rudolph is starting. It’s nothing against him, but he’s probably best suited to be a backup. Unfortunately, the Steelers might have to find out what life is like with him as their No. 1 quarterback for the entire season.
