Tag: mason rudolph

QB Mason Rudolph posts heartfelt goodbye to Steelers fans

Former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph posted a heartfelt message to fans on IG.

The end was bittersweet for Mason Rudolph. When Mike Tomlin called his name to start for the first time in two years, he performed like he’d never been a third-stringer. That’s what teams want out of a depth quarterback but don’t often get.

Rudolph was at the helm for three consecutive victories to end the regular season, throwing for 719 yards and three touchdowns with a completion percentage of 74.3.

He also helped take the Pittsburgh Steelers to their third playoff appearance in four seasons.

Rudolph was auditioning for the next phase of his NFL career. And it finally paid off.

Instead of re-signing with the Steelers, where it was certain he’d be, once again, buried on the depth chart, Rudolph bet on himself. He tested free agency for the second time in six seasons and two days into the process, he found a new home with the Tennessee Titans.

Here’s the message Rudolph posted on Instagram to the millions of Steelers fans who supported him (or didn’t) since 2018.

For the past 6 years, it has been a privilege to be part of the Pittsburgh community and represent the Pittsburgh Steelers.

To my teammates, coaches, staff, Art Rooney, the Rooney family, Thomas Tull, Larry Paul, and the rest of the Steelers organization: Thank you for changing my life forever six years ago when you gave me the opportunity to wear the Black & Gold.

To the fans—your love and passion for the team is what makes it so special to play here. I will never forget playing in front of Yinz one final time this past December. All the Best. MR.

Unlike Kenny Pickett, whom most of Steelers Nation has turned their back on, Rudolph went out on a high note. And what he did for the team when they needed it most — win — is something fans will always hold him in the highest regard for.

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Mason Rudolph (@rudolph2mason)

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Former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph heading to Tennessee Titans

The long and winding road of Mason Rudolph’s tenure with the Steelers has finally reached an end.

The long and winding road of Mason Rudolph‘s tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers has finally reached an end.

According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, the Tennessee Titans are signing the veteran quarterback to a one-year deal worth up to $3.62 million.

The 2019 third-round pick finished his career in Pittsburgh with 3,085 yards and 19 touchdowns in 21 games (13 starts).

Rudolph will back-up 2023 second-round draft pick Will Levis.

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Titans agree to terms with QB Mason Rudolph

The Titans have reportedly agreed to terms with quarterback Mason Rudolph.

The Tennessee Titans have reportedly found the third quarterback they were hoping to add this offseason in former Pittsburgh Steelers signal-caller, Mason Rudolph.

The news comes from NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who notes that the Titans are signing Rudolph to a one-year deal worth up to $3.62 million.

A former third-round pick of the Steelers, Rudolph appeared in 21 games (13 starts) over four seasons, serving mostly as a backup. He started a career-high eight contests during his rookie campaign.

In all, Rudolph has completed 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards and 19 touchdowns to 11 interceptions.

Rudolph had a strong showing in the Steelers’ final three games of the 2023 regular season when he got a chance to start. He threw for 716 yards, three scores and no picks while completing 74.6% of his passes.

The Oklahoma State product started the Steelers’ lone playoff game, also, where he completed 56.4% of his passes for 229 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the losing effort.

Rudolph now enters the backup quarterback picture in Tennessee, where he will compete with 2022 third-round pick Malik Willis for the job behind starter Will Levis.

And, based on what we’ve seen from Rudolph and Willis during their respective careers, the former should be considered the favorite.

Should Willis lose out on the No. 2 job in training camp, he could be playing elsewhere in 2024.

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Russell Wilson signing signals end of Mason Rudolph era in Pittsburgh

Mason Rudolph will hit free agency on Wednesday.

When Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan addressed the media at the NFL Scouting Combine, he talked at length about the quarterback position. One point Khan made was the team wanted quarterback Mason Rudolph back and would try very hard to keep him.

Fast-forward to now and the Steelers have decided to sign former Denver Broncos Russell Wilson just two days before the official start of free agency. This ultimately means the Mason Rudolph era is coming to an end in Pittsburgh.

The Steelers drafted Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. The team actually traded up to get Rudolph. He was the team’s No. 3 quarterback his rookie season.

From 2019 to 2023, Rudolph found himself all over the depth chart. He started 13 games in five seasons and went 8-4-1 as a starter. Rudolph was always a consummate professional, biding his time, never speaking ill of the team or his teammates and when called upon, he produced. Last season, Rudolph ended up being the best quarterback on the roster once he took over for an ineffective Mitch Trubisky.

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Pittsburgh Steelers fans will forget all about Mason Rudolph

Steelers faithful will forget all about Mason Rudolph if Kenny Pickett comes out and plays like the first-rounder he was drafted as.

The NFL is a what-have-you-done-for-me-lately league and, as of late, Mason Rudolph was the one who helped take the Pittsburgh Steelers to the playoffs.

Rudolph finished with a 3-0 record to finish the 2023 regular season and, as a result, many of his teammates were calling for the veteran backup to lead the Steelers in 2024.

Against those wishes, Mike Tomlin, team president Art Rooney and offensive coordinator Arthur Smith have all said that Kenny Pickett is the starter going forward. If that’s how it actually plays out or what happens beyond that is anybody’s guess.

But one thing is certain: Diontae Johnson, George Pickens and company will support whoever gets them the ball and helps win games. The memory of Rudolph will fade, and Steelers fans will forget all about him should Pickett come out and consistently lead his team to victory.

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Joe Manganiello: Steelers could need high draft pick to fix QB quandary

Steelers superfan wants to see Pittsburgh draft a quarterback.

Actor Joe Manganiello is a true Pittsburgh Steelers superfan. He knows the game and he knows this team. So when he went on “The Rich Eisen Show” to talk about his team, he had some pretty strong opinions about the quarterback position.

Manganiello said he would like to see Mason Rudolph come back after his strong finish to the season but acknowledged the team is in a position similar to how it was in the late ’90s before drafting Ben Roethlisberger.

To get the Steelers back on track, Manganiello doesn’t think drafting one late in the first round is enough. He thinks it will take a high draft pick to get the Steelers back on track at quarterback.

In the 2024 NFL draft, there is a pretty clear delineation between the top three quarterbacks and the next three. There’s no doubt Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels are a tier ahead of J.J. McCarthy, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix, but a strong case could be made that any of these guys has a higher ceiling than Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph.

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Around the North: Steelers are reportedly torn between Pickett and Rudolph

A report suggests there is a disagreement internally as to who should start in 2024

Quarterback is the most important position in football and if you don’t have one you got to do whatever it takes to find one. According to a report from ProFootballTalk, the AFC North rival Pittsburgh Steelers believes they have one, but disagree on whether it is Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph.

“The Steelers have apparent “internal division” as to whether Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph should be the starting QB for 2024. Either way, they reportedly aren’t interested in acquiring a veteran starter at the position.”

It hasn’t been a good time for the Browns rivals in Pittsburgh since future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger retired as the team continues to search for a new franchise quarterback. Who knows how reliable this report is but if it’s true they aren’t looking to add a starter-level player which is great news for Cleveland Browns fans.

NFL free agency draws closer as rosters for next year will start to take shape with what could be a very busy year for the AFC North after all four teams finished 2023 with a winning record.

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Steelers WR wanting Mason Rudolph at QB is just simple math

The Steelers wide receivers want a quarterback who can get them the football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback controversy brewing and it’s going to get ugly. Steelers beat writer Gerry Dulac reported that within the organization there is a divide as to whether it should be Kenny Pickett or Mason Rudolph starting at quarterback this season.

Dulac also noted that on the roster, it’s the wide receivers who want Rudolph to be the starter. Which makes perfect sense if you think about it. Pickett struggled all season to get the football to Diontae Johnson and George Pickens but Rudolph seemed to have no issue delivering the football.

At least some of that can be attributed to the firing of Matt Canada but nonetheless, Rudolph seemed to be on the same page with the team’s top skill players.

The rub is Rudolph is set to hit free agency in less than two weeks. If Rudolph is the guy the receivers want, will the front office pay up? Giving Rudolph a big free-agent contract could only damage the relationship the team has with Pickett and he would have to assume he is not in the future plans.

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Steelers issues at QB are of their own making

The Steelers could have avoided this quarterback situation years ago with just a little bit of planning.

The Pittsburgh Steelers head into the 2024 offseason with more questions than answers about the quarterback position. But this isn’t a new problem. In fact, this is a problem nearly a decade in the making.

Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season and the team had no plan for his replacement. The best they could do was sign free-agent bust Mitch Trubisky and then select Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft. All moves were made after the fact and lacked any sort of proactive planning.

We have evidence that the Steelers felt concerned about Roethlisberger retiring as far back as 2018 when they drafted Mason Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. A move in hindsight was largely window dressing despite Rudolph’s ability to stick around.

The 2018 NFL draft will forever be the draft of what could have been for the Steelers. Knowing the team needed a quarterback enough to scout many of the top ones pre-draft, Pittsburgh passed on now-Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson in favor of safety Terrell Edmunds. If there is a move that will forever tarnish the legacy of former general manager Kevin Colbert, this is it.

After this draft, it was a matter of watching Roethlisberger limp through a few more seasons and the team turning a blind eye to the problem until it was too later.

But the Steelers have a chance to wipe the slate clean and start over. The right way. The 2024 NFL draft is loaded with promising prospects. There are also multiple veteran free agents and even a few guys the Steelers could trade for that at minimum are an upgrade over any combination of Pickett and Rudolph.

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