PITTSBURGH — Given the way his last couple seasons played out, one could hardly blame him if Mason Rudolph was eager to get as far away from Pittsburgh as soon as possible. Instead, the fourth-year Steelers quarterback signed a new contract this offseason to stay here through 2022, which is widely believed to be the franchise’s first foray into the post-Ben Roethlisberger universe.
When it comes to succession plans, the adage is that you never want to be the guy who replaces the guy — but Rudolph does.
“At the end of the day, I want to be in Pittsburgh,” Rudolph said on a Zoom call Tuesday afternoon following practice at OTAs on the South Side. “This is where I was drafted. This is home. This is where I want to continue to play.”
The odd part of it, as it is with any Steelers backup quarterback over the last decade and a half, is that it figures to be another year of sitting, waiting and anticipating. After a 2019 campaign in which he was forced into action sooner than expected due to Roethlisberger’s season-ending elbow injury, Rudolph settled back into the role of Roethlisberger’s understudy in 2020.
It’s a familiar gig for the 2018 third-round pick and one without much pressure, but it also meant that any momentum he might’ve had from his partial season as a starter couldn’t be seized. If anything, it faded into a COVID-19 abyss as the NFL went virtual for all of last offseason until training camp, and work-in-progress passers like Rudolph didn’t even get a chance to get live reps against different jerseys in the preseason.
“That’s my goal, is to be a starting quarterback in this league and for our team,” Rudolph said. “I’m working toward that goal every single day. I can only control myself and the way I prepare — the way I approach and play in OTAs and camp — and that’s on the forefront of my mind.
“I’m not worried about 2022 or anything like that. I’m trying to live in the moment and be the best I can for my team.”
Rudolph has the security of another one-year deal and $3 million salary waiting for him the season after this one. No other quarterback on the Steelers roster — not even Roethlisberger — can say that.
But he also has a new contestant in the ring vying for a spot on the depth chart, one with a distinguished pedigree. Dwayne Haskins, the 15th overall pick in 2019, is trying to revive his star-crossed NFL career in Pittsburgh. And there’s no way around it — he’ll have to unseat Rudolph at some point to do it.
“You’re always excited and you’re always looking forward to competition,” Rudolph said of Haskins, as well as last year’s No. 3 quarterback Josh Dobbs being back in the fold. “You know it’s going to be there each and every year. It’s just a matter of who.”
Rudolph added that he already knew Haskins — who’s earning high praise from Roethlisberger for his arm strength — before the Ohio State single-season passing touchdown leader came to town. He’s also using the in-person portion of the offseason to familiarize himself with the rookies, four of whom were drafted by the Steelers in the first four rounds and could be his supporting cast of the future.
Tailback Najee Harris and tight end Pat Freiermuth may be among his favorite targets someday, but the first newcomer Rudolph mentioned was center Kendrick Green. It seems the third-round pick is already putting in the effort to try to be the Maurkice Pouncey to Rudolph’s Roethlisberger.
“Kendrick’s been a pleasure to work with,” Rudolph said. “He’s a hard worker. He’s always asking questions, wanting to get extra snaps after practice and build that chemistry.”
It hasn’t been an easy road for Rudolph, whose second season was sandwiched between scary injuries — a concussion against the Ravens and dislocated collarbone at the Jets — and marred by a claim that he used a racial slur against Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
As steadfastly as Rudolph denied that accusation, he is unwavering in his belief that he’ll be a No. 1 QB in the NFL. It’s just a matter of when.
“It’s always good to get a vote of confidence from your team,” Rudolph said of his contract extension. “Still, my outlook and my approach is proving myself every day. … It’s encouraging, and Pittsburgh’s a place where I want to be for a long time. I love the whole organization here. It’s home. That was exciting, but it doesn’t change my approach.”
