In a moment, Mason Rudolph went from clear-cut starter to obvious backup. The moment Aaron Rodgers phoned the Pittsburgh Steelers to inform them he intended to sign, a one-year contract worth up to nearly $20 million he officially signed Saturday, Rudolph was moved down the depth chart. Reacting to the news for the first time publicly ahead of yesterday’s Pittsburgh Pirates game, Rudolph shared his thoughts to the NFL’s worst-kept secret.
“I had a feeling they were going to bring somebody in,” Rudolph told The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review’s Kevin Gorman. “Obviously, Aaron was at the forefront of the conversation for a long time.”
Rodgers signing with Pittsburgh has been the expected outcome for the past three months and for most of the saga, felt like a matter of “when” instead of “if.” Rudolph served as the Steelers’ starter during the first two phases of the offseason program and both weeks of OTA practices. When Pittsburgh takes the practice field in Tuesday’s minicamp, Rudolph will be the backup behind Rodgers.
Despite the change in status, Rudolph won’t change his mentality.
“It won’t change my approach,” he told Gorman.
Rudolph returns to Pittsburgh after a one-year stint in Tennessee where he also served as the team’s backup, starting a handful of games after No. 1 Will Levis got hurt. For another year, Rudolph hasn’t been given a clear runway to start and in moments, felt slighted. After Ben Roethlisberger retired in 2021, the team quickly signed Mitch Trubisky and drafted Kenny Pickett in the first round.
Despite the framing of a “camp battle,” Rudolph was given little chance to capture the job and spent the season as the team’s No. 3. That carried over in 2023 and despite an anemic passing game, Rudolph only played once Pickett got hurt and Trubisky fell flat on his face. Rudolph won the Steelers’ last three regular season games and punched the team’s ticket into the playoffs. Though Pittsburgh made overtures to bringing Rudolph back for 2024, they turned to Russell Wilson and Justin Fields instead.
It’s easy to categorize Mason Rudolph in the same situation this season but it’s not nearly as valid. Before signing on March 10, rumors over the Steelers and Rodgers were already clear and known. The two-year, $8 million deal Rudolph signed indicated he was brought in as a backup and clear Plan B should Rodgers no-show. Even drawing interest from other teams, Rudolph willingly signed with Pittsburgh. He should be unsurprised by this week’s news as anyone else.
Now, Rudolph will serve as one of football’s top backups. He’s proven he can come off the bench, run the offense, and produce. Even with Rodgers’ overall track record of durability, 2023 Achilles tear aside, he’s still 41-years-old. It wouldn’t be a shock if Rudolph came off the sidelines to fill in at some point this season, just as he has several times before.
The rest of Gorman’s article contains additional quotes from Rudolph worth checking out. And Rudolph figures to speak to the media during Tuesday’s practice, right after Aaron Rodgers, making it reflective of their pecking order going forward.
