Steelers Expected To Retain Mason Rudolph

Although trade rumors have followed Mason Rudolph for a few days now, the Steelers are not planning to deal their longest-tenured quarterback.

Rather than move Rudolph for a draft pick, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac notes the team’s intention is to hang onto him (Twitter link). One season, on a $3MM base salary, remains on the extension Rudolph signed in April 2021. A couple of teams have made inquiries, per The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly, but they have not swayed the Steelers.

Trades around this time often involve players teams plan to cut ahead of the deadline to move rosters to 53. Rudolph falls outside of that category, which does not impose a deadline for the Steelers. Rudolph has remained on Pittsburgh’s roster for five years now, and it is clear no satisfactory offer has come in.

This season has the clear look of a bridge situation, not unlike the Tommy Maddox-to-Ben Roethlisberger one that formed in 2004 (a Maddox injury summoned Roethlisberger in Week 2 of that season; the rookie kept the job for 18 years). At some point, Mitchell Trubisky will give way to Kenny Pickett. Mike Tomlin also has not named Trubisky his Week 1 starter yet, though Kaboly expects that to happen. That has long been the expectation, but Pickett impressed in preseason game action. Tomlin said Monday he “might” have already made his Week 1 QB decision.

Rudolph, 27, is not expected to be in contention to start for Pittsburgh. The team has Trubisky signed to a two-year deal but could escape the contract with a minimal dead-money hit in 2023. Trubisky’s incentive package begins to pay out if he plays 60% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps this season. It would be a slight surprise if, barring a Pickett injury, that happened this season. Pickett taking over could reopen the door to another Rudolph extension for 2023, as the Pitt product’s backup, but for now, Rudolph lingers — in 2021 Nick Foles fashion — as a veteran third-stringer.