Getty A veteran quarterback reportedly has "zero interest" in playing for Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2023.
It has already been reported that the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to part ways with quarterback Mason Rudolph this offseason. But Rudolph apparently doesn’t want to be back anyway.
That’s what The Athletic’s Mark Kaboly wrote when ranking the top pending free agents the Steelers possess this offseason.
“Rudolph might have the ability to pick and choose a situation that is best for him to compete for a starting job or, at worst, a backup spot,” Kaboly wrote. “Rudolph has zero interest in returning to the Steelers.”
Rudolph started 10 games from 2019-21 for the Steelers, going 5-4-1 as a starter. Most of his playing time came while Ben Roethlisberger was sidelined for nearly the entire 2019 season with an elbow injury.
In 2019, Rudolph led the Steelers to a 5-3 record with 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
He dressed for one game in 2022 when Kenny Pickett missed Week 15 with a concussion.
Lack of Ideal Circumstances for Rudolph in Pittsburgh?
Kaboly has been a Rudolph advocate for years. He ranked Rudolph the No. 4 pending free agent the Steelers possess this offseason.
In February 2022, Kaboly tweeted a timeline of why Rudolph’s tenure with the Steelers had been less than ideal up to that point.
Then last offseason, the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky and drafted Kenny Pickett, pushing Rudolph down to the No. 3 spot on the quarterback depth chart.
• HelmetGate
• Dealt with accusations
• Pulled next week
• Put in against Jets and played OK before shoulder injury
• Finally got a QB coach
• Got another QB coach but had to learn new offense
• Was last-second starter against Lions
Rudolph never really set up to succeed
With Trubisky and Pickett on the roster, Rudolph didn’t receive much of an opportunity to prove what he could do in 2022.
The Steelers, though, had already seen what Rudolph could do in 10 starts and three years of practice. Kaboly is correct that some of Pittsburgh’s decisions with Rudolph were head-scratching (mostly not having a quarterbacks coach during his rookie season).
But Rudolph had hardly earned the right to enter the 2022 season as the Steelers’ clear-cut starter behind center. The Steelers improved their chances of having a winning season by signing Trubisky, and then Pickett somewhat unexpectedly dropped to No. 20 in the first round of the draft.
Once those quarterbacks arrived in Pittsburgh, the Steelers rightfully prioritized preparing Trubisky and developing Pickett ahead of getting practice reps for Rudolph.
Potential Landing Spots for Rudolph in Free Agency
Whether or not Rudolph can land in a spot where he can compete for a starting job remains to be seen. It’s too early to really project which teams might be interested in bringing in Rudolph to compete for a starting job.
But Lamar Jackson, Geno Smith, Daniel Jones, Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett are all set to be free agents. At least Garoppolo and Brissett figure to reach free agency.
Furthermore, other veteran signal callers such as Aaron Rodgers, Derek Carr, Baker Mayfield and Marcus Mariota could be available. Of course, there’s the quarterbacks that will be in the draft too.
It’s hard to envision any team prioritizing Rudolph over any of those quarterbacks.
However, as Kaboly noted, there is a high demand for signal callers with NFL experience to be backups.
“A record-tying 64 quarterbacks started at least one game during the regular season in 2022, which suggests the need for depth at the position,” wrote Kaboly.
That seems to make it highly likely Rudolph will sign somewhere as a primary backup. With the experience he gained in Pittsburgh, Rudolph could serve as a backup NFL quarterback for a long time.
It just won’t be with the Steelers.