Aaron Rodgers still hasn’t signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. While that seems likely, no deal has been done yet. That leaves Mason Rudolph currently penciled in as the Steelers’ starting quarterback. Mike Tomlin made it clear that he would be comfortable if that were the case for the 2025 season. Although some fans might be skeptical, Ben Roethlisberger also seems to believe in Rudolph.
“Mason [Rudolph] can get the guys the ball,” Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his podcast, Footbahlin’ with Ben Roethlisberger. “Mason can throw the ball. That’s never been a question. He can make decisions and get the ball out of his hand. He’s not afraid to take shots down the field, either.
“That’s one of the things I think that, as you’ve watched Mason when he was here and then in Tennessee, he’s not one of these guys that gets nervous and just wants to get the ball out his hands right away. He’ll sit in there, and he’ll throw it down the field. I think that’s what you’ve got to do when you have George Pickens and DK Metcalf. Those are deep down the field type guys.”
It’s true that Rudolph has a good arm. He’s not afraid to push the ball down the field. With Pickens and Metcalf, Roethlisberger is correct that the Steelers are set up to attack downfield. Rudolph has flaws, but throwing the ball deep isn’t one of them. That was one of the skills that helped the Steelers make the playoffs in 2023.
Rudolph was Roethlisberger’s backup for the last four years of his career, so he knows his strengths and weaknesses. Much like Tomlin, he seems confident that Rudolph can be a quality starter for the Steelers if they don’t land Rodgers.
However, he seems a little curious about their faith in Rudolph since they let him leave Pittsburgh after the 2023 season.
“If you don’t end up getting Aaron, which is what I think you’d want if you’d want to make your offense a wider net offense. If you don’t end up getting him, I think you can stick with Mason and be happy with what you’re gonna get.
“I know that Coach Tomlin came out and said, and I’m sure Omar [Khan] said the same thing, ‘We’re excited with Mason. Mason’s our guy.’ Then why’d you get rid of him in the first place?”
That’s a fair question, but the story was a little more complicated than it first seems. Recall where the Steelers were at in the 2023 offseason. They still had Kenny Pickett, but they had also signed Russell Wilson. That meant if Rudolph returned, he’d probably be the third-string quarterback. Reportedly, he didn’t love the sound of that, which is why he left Pittsburgh.
With the Tennessee Titans, he made it clear that he really appreciated his time with the Steelers. Things weren’t always great, but he was their best quarterback in 2023. He left on a strong note. Rudolph displayed that good deep ball with the Titans, too.
That’s likely why Tomlin and company felt good about bringing him back. They’re very familiar with Rudolph. If they don’t land Rodgers, they aren’t dealing with a question mark at quarterback. The other free-agent quarterbacks weren’t very appealing, either. All of them had flaws.
At least with Rudolph, the Steelers are dealing with the devil they know. Even if they sign Rodgers, Rudolph will probably be the backup quarterback. That puts him in a good position. Rodgers is 41 years old, so there’s no guarantee his body will hold up for an entire season. Rudolph might still get a chance to see the field.
Although he hasn’t done much in the NFL, it sounds like Rudolph has a lot of support. Tomlin and Roethlisberger both stated that they believed in him. The Steelers are still trying to sign Rodgers, so they probably think he would be an upgrade over Rudolph.
However, if that deal falls through, fans might have to get comfortable seeing a lot of Rudolph. They probably won’t win a Super Bowl with him, but he could give them another competitive season. Maybe he could even help them win a playoff game. Rudolph looks to be in the driver’s seat in the quarterback room until a decision comes from Rodgers.
