PALM BEACH, Fla. — Though the Pittsburgh Steelers are still evaluating potential quarterback acquisitions, one starting option is already on the roster.
Mike Tomlin is «comfortable» with the idea of Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback, the head coach said from the annual league meetings Monday morning.
«That's why we brought him back,» Tomlin said. «I'm comfortable with that. We've been there before. He's a very capable guy.»
The Steelers signed Rudolph to a two-year, $7.5 million contract earlier this month, bringing their 2018 third-round pick back into the fold after he spent a year with the Tennessee Titans. While Rudolph went 1-4 in five starts with the Titans, he helped the Steelers to a playoff berth in 2023 when he started the final three games of the regular season and the wild-card loss to the Buffalo Bills. Rudolph threw five touchdowns to one interception and completed 68% of pass attempts in those starts. He also averaged 236 passing yards per game, well over the Steelers' season average of 186.1.
«Anytime you experience something with somebody, there's growth, and I acknowledge [it] in that regard,» Tomlin said of how he viewed Rudolph after the experience in 2023. «Certainly the way he smiled in the face of adversity and delivered for us was significant, but not that I was shocked by it or didn't think it was within his framework or capabilities. We're excited about having him back, not only in terms of his talents but the guy that he is. He's a really good teammate. He's a really good football guy.»
Rudolph went 8-4-1 in 13 games as a starter for the Steelers over a four-year tenure, getting his most significant action during the 2019 season when Ben Roethlisberger exited with a season-ending elbow
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