Friday Insider: Why Rudolph returned ... and what's next
The predominant reason Mason Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh is that he never should've left.
But I'll digress and, instead, offer up a semi-scattered, bulleted barrage of how the Steelers' third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has now been brought back as a free agent -- two years, $8 million, expected to be signed today -- after a year in Nashville, Tenn.:
• When I write that he never should've left, I mean that neither he nor the team wanted him to.
• From Rudolph's perspective: He'd led a 3-0 surge to end the 2023 season and squeeze the Steelers into the playoffs before losing to the Bills. He saw it as the chance he'd never gotten, aside from emergency duty in 2019 after Ben Roethlisberger's injury when he was in his second year and was twice concussed, and he embraced it as such. Emotionally, too. He'd built such a bond with his offensive teammates that he'd easily be moved to near-tears in talking about how it felt to take the field with them, how it felt to have the Acrisure Stadium crowd serenade him at that unforgettable Christmas Eve victory over the Bengals.
The Acrisure Stadium crowd singing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer on Christmas Eve Eve during the Mason Rudolph game is just poetic. pic.twitter.com/FL5RTfq61z
He wanted a sequel to that chance more than anything, pushing every button in every direction to make it happen. And, once everyone from Art Rooney to Mike Tomlin had stated publicly they'd prefer to keep him from going to free agency, he was almost certain he'd have it.
Almost.
As free agency neared, he was still waiting to hear from Omar Khan. Never mind an actual offer. He just wanted to hear a ring or a text alert. Nothing.
• Khan and management, it turned out, had their attention turn toward not one but two other quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, they could acquire at cap hits similar to Rudolph's, which seemed remarkable on both counts given Wilson's history and Fields' pedigree. The temptation was too much, and they were added without Rudolph ever having seen an offer.
• Still hoping to parlay that 2023 finish into a starting role, he instead signed with Tennessee, where Will Levis wasn't exactly breaking through, for one year at $2.875 million. Rudolph would appear in eight games, five as the starter once Levis kept sinking, and completed 64.0 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards and nine touchdowns, along with nine interceptions (four of those on balls tipped upward by a receiving target) for an 80.1 passer rating.
• When the NFL's legal tampering period opened Monday, a handful of teams, including the Titans, reached out. The Steelers weren't among them.
• By Monday afternoon, when it'd become known that Fields was leaving for the Jets, everything changed. What'd been a potential opportunity in the corner of Rudolph's eye suddenly was at the forefront, and that only multiplied upon finally hearing from Khan. These two have had a tight relationship preceding Khan's tenure as GM, and not much needed to be spoken or, for that matter, parsed. Khan shot straight that the Steelers were in on another quarterback -- the only name shared with me that day in any context was that of Aaron Rodgers -- and that they were seeking support. And if the starter would be someone older, there'd be a reasonable chance that any backup would be busier here than in most NFL settings, so someone with starter capability/experience was a must. The conversation ended with something of an understanding that everything would stay on hold while the Rodgers storyline played out.
• Tuesday was quiet on that end but, on mine, I heard from inside the team that management was talking about how Rudolph might fit an Arthur Smith offense in much the same way Ryan Tannehill once did when the Titans were offensive terrors. Steady pocket presence. Unafraid and unwavering in committing to more than a single read. Stuff like that.
• And then, uh, no. By Wednesday morning, Khan had already lost Fields, he hadn't had any communication with Rodgers in days, and the last thing he could afford was to lose Rudolph, as well. A contract offer was structured so that, of the $8 million total, Rudolph would receive $4.5 million in a first-year bonus. That was that.
But what now?
Well, that's probably an Insider only Rodgers himself could write. Unless, of course, Khan and management decide to proceed without him. In which case wherever Rodgers goes or doesn't go, should he retire, obviously wouldn't be their issue in any way.
We'll see about that. But what's known is that Rudolph is a near-lock for that sequel in some form or other. He'll either wait for an opening that's highly likely, or he'll be here for two years while Khan begins amassing youngsters through any means possible, not least of which would be the draft. If that takes till 2026, when the class at that position will be far stronger, so be it. There'd still be a default starting quarterback who signed on as a backup and would grasp the broader mission. And in the interim, Khan could take a big chunk of that big money Rodgers would collect and invest in more pieces that'd help the Steelers at more positions.
Rest assured, Rudolph will eat up whatever's there. Eagerly.
DEJAN KOVACEVIC / DKPS
Kenny Gainwell meets with reporters Thursday on the South Side.
• I spent Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex covering the Steelers' introductions of five free-agent signees -- running back Kenny Gainwell, defensive back Brandin Echols, linebacker Malik Harrison, corner Darius Slay and my-God-that-still-happened wide receiver DK Metcalf -- all of whom made terrific first impressions.
But I learned nothing about Rodgers. Not a thing. So don't ask.
• Also and related, at the risk of switching from the Insider format to a soapbox, I don't care. This Rodgers thing is so dumb, so desperate, so ... it's what loser franchises do. It's lighting money on fire for short-term salvaging of face. It's not worth the cap commitment. It's not worth the constant headaches that've followed him forever. And it's not going to do a damned thing to advance the cause of any young quarterbacks added over the next couple years.
• Stop it. Just stop it. Stop the stupidity, start stockpiling those young quarterbacks under Rudolph, and start, at long last, a process that should've started as soon as Ben clutched his elbow that one day in 2019. Enough wasting of time, money and all else.
• Fields went dark on the Steelers, from what I've heard, once he received the Jets' offer that he'd ultimately sign. Which would mean that the only way Khan could've countered would've been to flail away with fresh offers into a possible void.
• I don't know for a fact that the Steelers will prioritize pursuing a quarterback in the draft, but I do know for a fact that they've discussed doing that with a running back. Which surprised me in the aftermath of Gainwell's arrival to support Jaylen Warren.
• How might George Pickens respond to Metcalf getting the $150 million bag? That's to be determined, as Metcalf allowed on this day that the two haven't communicated yet. But there'll be no mystery to how Pickens will respond to Rudolph's return: Those two became tighter in 2023 than I've seen Pickens with any quarterback, and I dare say it showed on the field, too.
• Who'll invest all that vital extra time in the summer for throwing sessions to the receivers? Will it be Rodgers, who wasn't doing that at all while in New Jersey, or Rudolph, who'd walk from here to Oklahoma and back on hot coal for such a session?
THE ASYLUM
Friday Insider: Why Rudolph returned ... and what's next
The predominant reason Mason Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh is that he never should've left.
But I'll digress and, instead, offer up a semi-scattered, bulleted barrage of how the Steelers' third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft has now been brought back as a free agent -- two years, $8 million, expected to be signed today -- after a year in Nashville, Tenn.:
• When I write that he never should've left, I mean that neither he nor the team wanted him to.
• From Rudolph's perspective: He'd led a 3-0 surge to end the 2023 season and squeeze the Steelers into the playoffs before losing to the Bills. He saw it as the chance he'd never gotten, aside from emergency duty in 2019 after Ben Roethlisberger's injury when he was in his second year and was twice concussed, and he embraced it as such. Emotionally, too. He'd built such a bond with his offensive teammates that he'd easily be moved to near-tears in talking about how it felt to take the field with them, how it felt to have the Acrisure Stadium crowd serenade him at that unforgettable Christmas Eve victory over the Bengals.
The chance was at hand.
"A dream come true," he'd tell me at the time.
Remember it?
Yeah, they really sang it ...
He wanted a sequel to that chance more than anything, pushing every button in every direction to make it happen. And, once everyone from Art Rooney to Mike Tomlin had stated publicly they'd prefer to keep him from going to free agency, he was almost certain he'd have it.
Almost.
As free agency neared, he was still waiting to hear from Omar Khan. Never mind an actual offer. He just wanted to hear a ring or a text alert. Nothing.
• Khan and management, it turned out, had their attention turn toward not one but two other quarterbacks, Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, they could acquire at cap hits similar to Rudolph's, which seemed remarkable on both counts given Wilson's history and Fields' pedigree. The temptation was too much, and they were added without Rudolph ever having seen an offer.
• Still hoping to parlay that 2023 finish into a starting role, he instead signed with Tennessee, where Will Levis wasn't exactly breaking through, for one year at $2.875 million. Rudolph would appear in eight games, five as the starter once Levis kept sinking, and completed 64.0 percent of his passes for 1,530 yards and nine touchdowns, along with nine interceptions (four of those on balls tipped upward by a receiving target) for an 80.1 passer rating.
• When the NFL's legal tampering period opened Monday, a handful of teams, including the Titans, reached out. The Steelers weren't among them.
• By Monday afternoon, when it'd become known that Fields was leaving for the Jets, everything changed. What'd been a potential opportunity in the corner of Rudolph's eye suddenly was at the forefront, and that only multiplied upon finally hearing from Khan. These two have had a tight relationship preceding Khan's tenure as GM, and not much needed to be spoken or, for that matter, parsed. Khan shot straight that the Steelers were in on another quarterback -- the only name shared with me that day in any context was that of Aaron Rodgers -- and that they were seeking support. And if the starter would be someone older, there'd be a reasonable chance that any backup would be busier here than in most NFL settings, so someone with starter capability/experience was a must. The conversation ended with something of an understanding that everything would stay on hold while the Rodgers storyline played out.
• Tuesday was quiet on that end but, on mine, I heard from inside the team that management was talking about how Rudolph might fit an Arthur Smith offense in much the same way Ryan Tannehill once did when the Titans were offensive terrors. Steady pocket presence. Unafraid and unwavering in committing to more than a single read. Stuff like that.
• And then, uh, no. By Wednesday morning, Khan had already lost Fields, he hadn't had any communication with Rodgers in days, and the last thing he could afford was to lose Rudolph, as well. A contract offer was structured so that, of the $8 million total, Rudolph would receive $4.5 million in a first-year bonus. That was that.
But what now?
Well, that's probably an Insider only Rodgers himself could write. Unless, of course, Khan and management decide to proceed without him. In which case wherever Rodgers goes or doesn't go, should he retire, obviously wouldn't be their issue in any way.
We'll see about that. But what's known is that Rudolph is a near-lock for that sequel in some form or other. He'll either wait for an opening that's highly likely, or he'll be here for two years while Khan begins amassing youngsters through any means possible, not least of which would be the draft. If that takes till 2026, when the class at that position will be far stronger, so be it. There'd still be a default starting quarterback who signed on as a backup and would grasp the broader mission. And in the interim, Khan could take a big chunk of that big money Rodgers would collect and invest in more pieces that'd help the Steelers at more positions.
Rest assured, Rudolph will eat up whatever's there. Eagerly.
DEJAN KOVACEVIC / DKPS
Kenny Gainwell meets with reporters Thursday on the South Side.
• I spent Thursday at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex covering the Steelers' introductions of five free-agent signees -- running back Kenny Gainwell, defensive back Brandin Echols, linebacker Malik Harrison, corner Darius Slay and my-God-that-still-happened wide receiver DK Metcalf -- all of whom made terrific first impressions.
But I learned nothing about Rodgers. Not a thing. So don't ask.
• Also and related, at the risk of switching from the Insider format to a soapbox, I don't care. This Rodgers thing is so dumb, so desperate, so ... it's what loser franchises do. It's lighting money on fire for short-term salvaging of face. It's not worth the cap commitment. It's not worth the constant headaches that've followed him forever. And it's not going to do a damned thing to advance the cause of any young quarterbacks added over the next couple years.
• Stop it. Just stop it. Stop the stupidity, start stockpiling those young quarterbacks under Rudolph, and start, at long last, a process that should've started as soon as Ben clutched his elbow that one day in 2019. Enough wasting of time, money and all else.
• Fields went dark on the Steelers, from what I've heard, once he received the Jets' offer that he'd ultimately sign. Which would mean that the only way Khan could've countered would've been to flail away with fresh offers into a possible void.
• I don't know for a fact that the Steelers will prioritize pursuing a quarterback in the draft, but I do know for a fact that they've discussed doing that with a running back. Which surprised me in the aftermath of Gainwell's arrival to support Jaylen Warren.
• How might George Pickens respond to Metcalf getting the $150 million bag? That's to be determined, as Metcalf allowed on this day that the two haven't communicated yet. But there'll be no mystery to how Pickens will respond to Rudolph's return: Those two became tighter in 2023 than I've seen Pickens with any quarterback, and I dare say it showed on the field, too.
• Who'll invest all that vital extra time in the summer for throwing sessions to the receivers? Will it be Rodgers, who wasn't doing that at all while in New Jersey, or Rudolph, who'd walk from here to Oklahoma and back on hot coal for such a session?
• Stop. It.
• Thanks for reading our franchise feature.
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