The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in trouble at quarterback long before Ben Roethlisberger decided to retire from the NFL. Their poor succession planning has led to a messy situation in the QB room for many years.
Many teams look to find the successor to their current franchise quarterback before he is gone. The Steelers seemed to try that on a few occasions but, we can use the word try very loosely.
From Landry Jones to Joshua Dobbs to Mason Rudolph, the Steelers' attempts at succession were met with zero results. All three were once viewed as someone who could learn from Roethlisberger and take over once he retired but those plans never materialized.
The Steelers then tried to draft Kenny Pickett in a weak QB class and hoped he would work out as the next great QB for the team. That plan fizzled out after only two years in Pittsburgh before he was traded to the Eagles last off-season.
A large reason for that trade request was due to the team signing Russell Wilson after he was cut by the Broncos. This led Pickett to want out, to which the Steelers obliged and also traded for Justin Fields to be Russell Wilson's backup.
We all know what happened this season and that Justin Fields has since signed with the New York Jets. Russell Wilson looked like he wanted to be back in Pittsburgh, but the team did not act as if they felt the same way.
The door to the Russell Wilson era seemed to still be cracked open with the team not having signed a QB after legal tampering and the first day of the new league year. Their most recent signing in the QB room looks to have changed that.
Mason Rudolph's Steelers reunion should slam the door shut on the Russell Wilson era
The Steelers have been held hostage by Aaron Rodgers and his decision to play in Pittsburgh or with another team or retire in 2025. The only QB on the roster for 2025 was Skylar Thompson so the situation was growing increasingly volatile.
The situation is a bit less alarming now the Steelers have agreed to a reunion with former QB Mason Rudolph on a two-year contract. This provides the team with a veteran option who is familiar with the team and has starting experience while they wait out Aaron Rodgers.
The fact that Pittsburgh went and signed Rudolph and has had seemingly no contact with Russell Wilson's camp indicates they have little to no desire to bring him back for 2025 and beyond. The way last season ended likely fueled that decision to part ways for good.
With Rudolph on board, the Steelers can wait on Aaron Rodgers without worrying about what they would do if he goes elsewhere or decides to hang up his cleats. Rudolph allows them the peace of mind of knowing they have a capable arm on the roster that they can fall back on for some insurance.
There is no doubt many Steelers fans are not going to like the move. Rudolph's time in Pittsburgh was a huge roller coaster from the time he was drafted until he left the team this past off-season.
Rudolph will fit Arthur Smith's offense well as a pocket passer and could find success in the system should he end up the starter if the team is unable to sign Rodgers or another veteran. He will also have much better weapons in the passing game than he did in 2019 when he filled in for an injured Ben Roethlisberger for much of the season.
Russell Wilson is now visiting other teams and planning his next moves after seeing the door to a return slammed in his face. Whether the door will be locked remains to be seen but it would take a lot to open it back up after reuniting with Rudolph.