Steelers Now
Among the 32 projected starting quarterbacks in the NFL for the 2025 season, Pro Football Focus deemed Mason Rudolph as No. 31 in their latest quarterback rankings.
Rudolph was categorized in the “Tier 6: Low-end starters and not long-term options” category along with Joe Flacco of the Cleveland Browns, Anthony Richardson of the Indianapolis Colts and rookie Tyler Shough of the New Orleans Saints, who ranked dead last at No. 32.
“After spending his first six seasons in Pittsburgh, Mason Rudolph spent a year in Tennessee before returning on a two-year deal with the Steelers. With just 850 career dropbacks and only 22 big-time throws to his name, Rudolph is firmly established as a career backup. Given that the Steelers selected Will Howard in the sixth round, it’s likely we’ll see the rookie take the field before the season is over,” John Kosko of PFF wrote.
The Steelers have been waiting on Aaron Rodgers for over two months, and it appears the end of the never-ending saga is finally in sight. Rodgers biographer Ian O’Connor believes the four-time league MVP will sign with the Steelers by the end of May.
“Talking to a couple of people close to Aaron, I have a sense of what it might be,” O’Connor said on 93.7 the Fan. “I’m not comfortable reporting it right now, but I don’t think it would prevent him from playing football with the Steelers… I just think verbally, behind the scenes, not that he guaranteed it, but he’s told (the Steelers), ‘Listen I’m gonna play for you. I just don’t want to go there and then miss part of mandatory minicamp because of my personal issues. I’m pretty sure they’re gonna be solved by the end of May, at least in my satisfaction where I can give you my all.’ I think that’s where he is.”
After a tumultuous two-year tenure with the New York Jets, O’Connor believes Pittsburgh is the “perfect place” for Rodgers to end his career.
“He knows it was an embarrassment in New York largely, and he’s the face of that embarrassment,” O’Connor said. “Whether that’s fair or not, that’s the case. It may be me as an optimist, but I think this is gonna work out. Do I think the Steelers will win the Super Bowl next year? No. But if you told me 11-6 with at least one playoff victory . . . I think that’s realistic.”
Unless something unforeseen happens, all signs point to Rodgers being the Steelers quarterback in 2025. If not, Rudolph is a decent fallback option, but it doesn’t give a whole lot of optimism.
In six seasons with Pittsburgh, Rudolph completed 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 86.9.
In 2023, Rudolph started the final three games of the regular season after Kenny Pickett was lost to a high-ankle sprain and Mitchell Trubisky struggled in his limited action.
Rudolph responded with the best play of his career, completing 55...
