The Pittsburgh Steelers’ current predicament at quarterback all started with them missing out on Justin Fields at the beginning of free agency. He signed to the New York Jets for $40 million over two years, including $30 million guaranteed. Could that situation have been a blessing in disguise for the Steelers, who turned around and signed Mason Rudolph to a two-year deal worth $8 million?
Steelers insider Mark Kaboly offered an interesting take on the QB situation via 93.7 The Fan’s Morning Show.
“People probably don’t wanna hear this, but I think he [Rudolph] was a better option for this year than Justin Fields would be. As in winning right now,” Kaboly said. “I mean, Justin could be a guy that you can transform your offense into and probably would’ve been the best bet overall, but if you wanna win this year, I think with Mason and you have some weapons if you keep George [Pickens] around, [Pat] Freiermuth, and that offensive line.
“So I think Mason would be able to be successful here with obviously more weapons than Russell [Wilson] had last year.”
Had the Steelers tried to match or outbid the Jets for Fields, they would have been paying a premium for the long-term potential. I don’t think he’s actually worth that amount now, but you have to project a little at the quarterback position and bet on potential more than you do at other positions. But if the Steelers were thinking of drafting a quarterback in the next year or two, then Rudolph could end up being the better bridge option.
For one, he’s a heck of a lot cheaper. And for the discrepancy in value, how much more successful would Fields have been in this offense compared to Rudolph?
The Steelers got four starts from Rudolph in 2023 and six from Fields in 2024. Here were their stats.
2023 Mason Rudolph: 77-for-113 (68.1 percent), 948 yards, five TDs, one INT, three fumbles
2024 Justin Fields: 106-for-161 (65.8 percent), 1,106 yards, five TDs, one INT, 62 rushing attempts, 289 yards, five rushing TDs, six fumbles
Rudolph had much better per-game production as a passer in those four games than Fields did in six games. Mind you, that was while operating in a Matt Canada lame-duck offense run by two interim coaches after Canada got fired. Fields didn’t look so good with the Bears before working with Arthur Smith and the Steelers. Could Arthur Smith manage to get even more out of Rudolph?
We do, of course, also have to look at Rudolph’s time as a starter with the Tennessee Titans last season. It wasn’t pretty. In five starts and a handful of other game appearances, Rudolph had 146 completions on 228 attempts for 1,530 yards, nine TDs and nine INTs. His per-game production took a dip, but the Titans were an unmitigated disaster last year. They are picking No. 1 overall in the 2025 NFL Draft for a reason.
With so many moving parts, it’s impossible to say whether Fields or Rudolph would have the better 2025 season with the Steelers. But the fact that it’s even a conversation tells me the that the Steelers are getting the better end of the deal with an $8 million Rudolph than a $40 million Fields. That is unless you believe Fields is a future franchise quarterback. I don’t fall in that boat, but I understand if others do.
This could all be a discussion for nothing if the Steelers end up signing Aaron Rodgers for $30 or $40 million per season. In that case, Fields would have been the cheaper option with likely more bang for the Steelers’ buck.
