Mason Rudolph has had quite the NFL career. Up until last season, the entirety of that was spent in Pittsburgh. 2024 marked his first year outside of the organization, which he spent with the Tennessee Titans. Unfortunately, things didn’t go according to plan in Tennessee. Rudolph joined the Kaboly + Mack show in an episode posted on Monday, and he mentioned that his time with the Titans made him appreciate the Steelers more.
“I think it was just good for like, perspective,” Rudolph said of his time with the Titans. “… I think it makes me appreciate Pittsburgh, and the way that we do things here. And the way that the front office operates, and the ownership, just top down. Getting an outside, fresh perspective makes you appreciate what we have in Pittsburgh here so much more.”
Simply put, Rudolph wasn’t tearing opposing defenses apart last season. He started five games and won just one of them. He completed 64 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,530 yards, nine touchdowns, and nine interceptions in the process. His passer rating of 80.1 certainly wasn’t anything to write home about, either.
That said, it’s not as if the Titans’ struggles were because of Rudolph. He was part of a team that was a mess in many ways last year. Will Levis started the season at quarterback, but due to some injuries and overall poor play, Rudolph was inserted into the lineup. That lineup did include Calvin Ridley and Tony Pollard, but there was a real lack of cohesiveness on the offense as a whole.
Coming back to Pittsburgh, it would make sense for Rudolph to feel more appreciative. The Steelers haven’t been world-beaters during his time here. Still, they’re much more stable than the Titans are at the moment. Rudolph also has DK Metcalf to work with now, and a running game led by Kaleb Johnson and Jaylen Warren. Finally, Rudolph will be playing behind an offensive line with much more promise as well.
Rudolph is also well-received by the fan base, which could be part of the reason he feels happy to return. Going back to 2023, Rudolph earned a ton of fans for stepping in and running the table to end the regular season, helping push the Steelers into the playoffs. Although Pittsburgh lost in the Wild Card round that year, they were underdogs to the Buffalo Bills, and Rudolph had some good moments in that game. He’s far from perfect, but that stretch really helped him leave Pittsburgh on a positive note.
Now, Rudolph heads into another season unsure of his role. If Rodgers signs, he’ll be the backup. If he doesn’t, then Rudolph could be looking at a chance to spend the entire season as a starter for the first time in his career. At the least, he’s familiar with the organization, and a decent portion of the roster as well. Many Steelers fans already appreciated Mason Rudolph, and it seems like that feeling is mutual.
