The Titans are signing Rudolph to a one-year, $3.6 million contract Wednesday, Turron Davenport of ESPN.com reports. Rudolph could be the favorite to beat out Malik Willis for the top backup spot behind Will Levis (foot), considering his solid showing in Pittsburgh last year. He led the Steelers to three consecutive wins to close out the regular season, before the team suffered a wild-card playoff loss at the hands of Buffalo. The veteran's presence will provide Tennessee with an experienced signal-caller in an otherwise young QB room.
Rudolph has free-agent interest from multiple teams, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network. The Steelers presumably aren't one of those teams, considering they recently reached an agreement with QB Russell Wilson and have 2022 first-round pick Kenny Pickett under contract for at least two more years. Rudolph stepped in for an injured Pickett at the end of 2023 and continued to start once Pickett was healthy, leading Pittsburgh to three straight wins at the end of the regular season before a loss at Buffalo in the first round of the playoffs. The 2018 third-round pick went 8-4-1 as a starter in his six years with the Steelers, completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 6.7 YPA with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions (on 458 career pass attempts). Rudolph won't add much on the ground (93 career rushing yards, zero TDs), but his career passing numbers are at least toward the high end of what's expected for a backup quarterback, with other positives including a low sack rate (4.6 percent) and just one lost fumble.
GM Omar Khan said Thursday that Rudolph knows the Steelers want to re-sign him, Mark Kaboly of The Athletic reports. Kaboly and Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (via 93.7 The Fan) both have suggested that the Steelers prefer to re-sign Rudolph and move forward with him and Kenny Pickett as the quarterbacks for 2024, though Khan didn't rule out the possibility of acquiring a veteran starter or drafting a QB. It sounds like Rudolph would get the chance to compete for a starting job if he re-signs, as Khan said Thursday that Picket will be subject to competition even though the Steelers believe in him. The team is sending mixed signals, but it does at least seem clear that Rudolph and the Steelers have already discussed a contract extension. The 28-year-old replaced an injured Pickett late last season and then kept the starting job even after Pickett was healthy, leading Pittsburgh to three straight wins at the end of the regular season before falling to the Bills in the first round of the playoffs.