Mason Rudolph Back to Pittsburgh Next Season?

STILLWATER — Mason Rudolph has had an up and down career up to this point in the NFL, with the most recent play being up for the former Oklahoma State quarterback.

Following an injury to starting quarterback Kenny Pickett, Rudolph replaced second-string QB Mitch Trubisky late in a 30-13 loss to the Colts. Rudolph then started the final three games of the regular season for the Steelers and went 3-for-3, beating the Bengals, the Seahawks and the Ravens.

In those three games, Rudolph played some of his best football since the 2018 draft by going 53-of-71 for 716 yards and three touchdowns. So, the hype around Rudolph entering the 2024 season was real.

However, Pickett is the only quarterback currently under contract with the Steelers and a recent interview with Steelers GM Omar Khan suggest Pickett is the guy going into 2024.

“I have full faith in Kenny [Pickett],” Khan said at the NFL Combine on Thursday. “He’s shown us some good things, and obviously there were some issues with the offense.

“I’m excited about the impact that [new offensive coordinator] Arthur Smith’s going to have on him. Arthur’s very optimistic about Kenny and they communicated, and like I said, we will have some strong competition there and we’ll see where it goes. Feel really good about him.”

Prior to his injury against Arizona, Pickett went 201-of-324 for 2,070 yards and just six touchdowns to four interceptions.

So, the thought was Rudolph, who’s entering free agency, would be going to a new team, with him being ranked as high as the sixth-ranked free agent quarterback going into the offseason.

But comments from Khan on Thursday about Rudolph might suggest the former Cowboy gunslinger could be content with staying in the City of Bridges.

“We’re looking at everything,” Khan said on Thursday via the Steelers. “I have an obligation to this organization, to there players, to the front office, to every member of the Steeler nation, to look at every option and every way of trying to improve this team, and we’re going to do so.

“We have been in communication with [Rudolph’s] representative, and he knows we want him back. It’s just the process, and I understand it, but we’d like to have him back, and they indicated a desire to see what’s out there beyond. I think every player kind of owes it to himself. At the end of the day, it’s a few weeks until the start of the league year. But I know we’d like to have him back, and I believe he wants to come back and compete. He likes it here, and we’ve had a good experience with Mason.”

The end of the 2023-24 season was a good one for Rudolph. He proved to other teams he’s still a good quarterback, capable of playing at a high level, even having not taken significant snaps since the 2021 season. I think it was also a good sign and showing to the Pittsburgh staff. The obvious choice in Pittsburgh is the first rough QB being paid $14 million. However, it’s going to be a great offseason and preseason battle should Rudolph decide to return.