NFL Rumors: Steelers Reunite With Third-Round QB In Free Agency

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed a quarterback, bringing back familiar face Mason Rudolph for a second stint with the franchise.

Rudolph and the Steelers agreed to a two-year, $8 million deal, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo. The 29-year-old was initially drafted by Pittsburgh in the third round (76th overall) of the 2018 NFL Draft before remaining a member of the organization for four seasons. Rudolph departed in free agency, joining the Tennessee Titans in 2024.

Pittsburgh needed a quarterback more than anything else this offseason, especially after the front office pulled off a trade to acquire two-time Pro Bowl wideout DK Metcalf from the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday. It’s unlikely that Rudolph was brought back to fill the team’s vacant starting quarterback seat, however, the 29-year-old does provide the Steelers with an option. Starting candidates such as Russell Wilson and Aaron Rodgers still haven’t made their decisions, so having Rudolph as a backup plan helps ensure there’s at least a veteran signal caller in the locker room — at the very least.

Justin Fields, Pittsburgh’s co-starting quarterback from last season, signed a two-year, $40 million deal with the New York Jets earlier in the week, kicking off the dwindling amount of options left. Matthew Stafford, of course, was retained by the Los Angeles Rams and Wilson is set to meet with the Cleveland Browns this week. So the Steelers, if dangerously picky, could’ve easily found themselves in a dicey situation after signing Metcalf to an immediate $150 million contract extension.

Not to mention, Pittsburgh is due for a response in 2025.

It’s been nine years since the last time the Steelers won a playoff game. Pittsburgh began the campaign with a red-hot 10-3 start and won as many as five games consecutively at one point, but once Week 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles came around, everything changed. The Steelers lost their final four games of the regular season and carried the losing skit into the playoffs, falling to Lamar Jackson and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC wild-card game.

Rudolph, unlike Wilson and Rodgers, remains an unproven product. He was considered an option to be Ben Roethlisberger’s successor and did take over for the longtime Pittsburgh legend when Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2 of the 2019 season. Rudolph also took over the starting gig in 2023, leading the team to a 3-0 record to end the year. But in terms of overall experience, Rudolph is still lacking.

He’s only appeared in one playoff game, the 2023 AFC wild-card game against the Buffalo Bills — and lost.

Rudolph did gain more experience with Tennessee last season, logging five starts across eight appearances. He completed 437 of his 686 pass attempts (63.7%) for 1,530 yards while also totaling nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Pittsburgh still has time to locate its next starting quarterback this offseason.

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