In the frenzy of free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers have found themselves among the last teams to secure a viable starting quarterback for the 2025 season. Few options remain, and while Aaron Rodgers is the favorite to take the job in Pittsburgh, the Steelers could be forced to call on the services of a former quarterback of their own.
Of course, as the headline suggests, we're not here to talk about Russell Wilson. No, this former quarterback was the one who oftentimes seemed largely underappreciated. Mason Rudolph, after all, was 8-4-1 as a starter in Pittsburgh, none too worse than those vying for the same position at the time.
Despite closing out his final regular season in Pittsburgh with three straight victories, a less-than-spectacular (though not altogether awful) playoff performance against the Buffalo Bills was the last gasp of him being the future of the position.
But, as fate would have it, a painful stint with the Tennessee Titans has Rudolph back in play for Pittsburgh. According to reports, the Steelers have reached out to Mason Rudolph about a potential reunion.
The Pittsburgh Steelers would be wise to bring back free-agent Mason Rudolph
While the bridge between Russell Wilson and Pittsburgh might be nearly burned beyond repair, it appears the bridge between Rudolph and Pittsburgh might just be salvageable (this is the City of Bridges, after all).
The Steelers are without a starting quarterback, and calling Rudolph is a wise decision for the organization. Rudolph knows he's either a backup if the Steelers can sign Rodgers or Wilson, or he'll get a few starts ahead of a rookie. The odds of the Steelers bringing in a Joe Flacco or Jameis Winston on top of Rudolph and a rookie feel negligible, so either way, Rudolph has, somewhat ironically, a better shot of seeing the field than he did the last year he was in Pittsburgh.
Still, the Steelers are right to call Rudolph because he's someone who can handle either situation. He's a proven, reliable backup who, at times, looked like the better option on a poor Titans team last season. Sounds familiar to his time in Pittsburgh.
Conversely, if the cards fell to him being a starter, then the Steelers get to keep their status quo as Rudolph holds the offense afloat to another shallow playoff appearance.
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It sounds harsh, but it would be a somewhat popular move to bring Rudolph back, which takes some pressure off of the front office over the quarterback situation and all but ensures "The Standard" is upheld.
Of course, just because Rudolph fielded the call doesn't mean he's all in. We'll have to wait to see what he decides. He could wait until the cards fall with the other quarterbacks tied to the situation to hold some leverage. Or he could see the potential benefits of being next-man-up to Aaron Rodgers.
It seems the Steelers' decsion makers are more hopeful for the latter conclusion.