Quarterback Mason Rudolph was the last departing member of the 2018 draft class for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Rudolph signed a 1-year deal with the Tennessee Titans in NFL free agency.
But Rudolph didn’t leave Pittsburgh without saying goodbye. He posted a long farewell message on his Instagram account on March 20.
“For the past 6 years, it has been a privilege to be part of the Pittsburgh community and represent the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Rudolph wrote in an Instagram post. “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.”
Rudolph experienced a rough start to his NFL career in Pittsburgh. Then for the span of nearly four seasons, he barely played.
But Rudolph ended his Steelers tenure on a high note, leading the team on a 3-game winning streak to end the 2023 regular season. Thanks to that run, the Steelers earned the No. 7 seed in the AFC playoffs.
Rudolph completed 74.3% of his passes for an average of 9.7 yards per attempt. He also had 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions in four appearances last season.
Mason Rudolph Says Goodbye to Steelers, Pittsburgh Fans
It’s hard to imagine a classier goodbye from Rudolph, who went through plenty of adversity with the Steelers.
Much to the dismay of Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers drafted Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. But with Roethlisberger still in his prime, the Steelers didn’t place a high priority on developing Rudolph during his rookie season.
As the team’s No. 3 quarterback in 2018, Rudolph didn’t receive many practice repetitions. The Steelers also didn’t have a quarterbacks coach to tutor Rudolph.
In 2019, Rudolph was rushed into the starting lineup when Roethlisberger suffered an elbow injury during Week 2.
Rudolph went 5-3 as a starter in 2019, but Mike Tomlin benched him for Duck Hodges during his eighth start. Rudolph played well in his Week 16 return, but he exited the game with an injury.
Once Roethlisberger returned in 2020, Rudolph made just six appearances over the next three seasons.
But Rudolph came back to the Steelers on a 1-year deal last offseason. As he did for nearly every game in 2022, Rudolph continued to serve as Pittsburgh’s emergency quarterback until Kenny Pickett needed ankle surgery in December.
Then with Mitch Trubisky struggling, Rudolph entered the lineup in Week 15 and made his first start in two years the following week.
That was his final game at Acrisure Stadium as a member of the Steelers.
Expectations for Rudolph With Tennessee Titans
To join the Titans, Rudolph agreed to a contract that includes $2.7 million guaranteed. Rudolph also received a $1.35 million signing bonus.
The contract includes incentives as well. Rudolph will earn $10,000 per game that he is on the active roster. The deal also had a $750,000 playtime incentive.
Second-round quarterback Will Levis made nine starts during his rookie season last year. He threw 8 touchdowns versus 4 interceptions but completed only 58.4% of his passes.
Rudolph will likely serve as Levis’ backup, but he could also receive the opportunity to compete for the starting job this offseason.
Rudolph is 8-4-1 in his career as an NFL starter. He threw 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 21 games with the Steelers.
With his efficient performances at the end of the 2023 regular season, Rudolph raised his yards per attempt career average to 6.7.
Comments
Mason Rudolph Breaks Silence After Steelers Exit