Insiders from NFL Network made it appear as though Mason Rudolph leaving the Pittsburgh Steelers was a foregone conclusion. But that may not 100% be the case.

ESPN’s Brooke Pryor made it clear that Rudolph signing with a new team is probably the more likely scenario. However, she shared while appearing on the February 14 episode of Two on OSU podcast that she doesn’t think the quarterback has made his 2024 free agency decision yet.

“At this point, I think it’s kind of up in the air,” Pryor told hosts Sam and Ben Hutchens. “I’m so intrigued to see what the Steelers do because I think that they would like to bring Mason Rudolph back, but I don’t know how Mason fits in Arthur Smith’s new system.

“I’m interested to see if Mason wants an opportunity to prove himself somewhere else because of kind of the rollercoaster that he has been on throughout his career in Pittsburgh when there was essentially an open quarterback competition between Pickett and Trubisky and Rudolph was supposedly supposed to be in the mix.

“But as we know, it was kind of, I hate to say a sham competition but like, it was pretty much known the whole time that it was going to be Trubisky, Pickett and then Rudolph.”

Rudolph appeared to become an afterthought after the Steelers signed Mitch Trubisky and drafted Kenny Pickett two years ago. But with Pickett injured and Trubisky struggling, the Steelers inserted Rudolph into the starting lineup in Week 16.

The fifth-year quarterback ran with the opportunity, leading the Steelers to three straight victories and an improbable playoff appearance.

The Likelihood Mason Rudolph Returns to Pittsburgh Steelers

With a little less than a month until free agency, there are mixed rumblings on whether Rudolph will be back in Pittsburgh for 2024.

Local reporters such as The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac have continued to stress that the Steelers want Rudolph to return. Meanwhile, national reporters such as NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport have reported Rudolph “has indicated” he’d like a fresh start elsewhere.

Pryor, a Steelers insider for a national outlet, seemed to split the difference herself. While she emphasized that the Steelers want Rudolph back, she suggested the feeling might not be mutual.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if it’s a situation where the Steelers want Mason, and Mason doesn’t want the Steelers because he’d like to, I think, get kind of a bearing on what else is out there and prove that he can be an NFL quarterback without maybe some of the politics of Pittsburgh of trying to jumpstart their first-round quarterback,” said Pryor.

It’s not really a secret why the Steelers want Rudolph to return. They need a quarterback to push Pickett in competition. The team released Trubisky on February 12.

In three games as Pittsburgh’s starting quarterback during 2023, Rudolph completed 74.6% and averaged 10.1 yards per pass. He also had 3 touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Rudolph appears to be the perfect mix. He is old enough to be a mentor for Pickett but young and talented enough to still be a threat as well.

But while Pryor implied Rudolph has yet to make his decision, she’s not wagering on him returning.

“At this point, if I’m betting on the Steelers or the field for where Mason Rudolph ends up, I think it’s going to end up being the field,” said Pryor.

Projecting Rudolph’s Next Contract

Although Pryor concluded that Rudolph would likely land elsewhere this offseason, she predicted the veteran signal caller to land a contract similar to the one Dulac projected the Steelers are interested in offering Rudolph.

Pryor argued that Rudolph will be worth between $10-18 million on a 2-year contract this offseason. Pryor also predicted the contract to contain little guaranteed money but a lot of incentives.

“Yes, he did prove he is a better quarterback than he was in 2019,” Pryor said. “[But] the sample size still felt so small that you don’t want to commit a ton of resources and cap to Mason Rudolph when you’re not entirely sure what you’re getting there.”

If he receives a similar contract offer elsewhere, it does make sense for Rudolph to seek a fresh start. The question, though, is whether another team believes strongly enough in the quarterback’s small 2023 sample to top Pittsburgh’s potential offer.