Mason Rudolph has the chance to prove Ben Roethlisberger wrong once and for all

Mason Rudolph's time with the Steelers is long gone, as is Ben Roethlisberger's. One will go down as a Pittsburgh sports legend, while the other was accosted at the beginning of his career and eventually sent packing.

Rudolph was a third-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. At the time, Roethlisberger was in his late-30's and nearing the end of a Hall-of-Fame career. It's natural for franchises to take a swing on a young QB, especially in the middle rounds, with the hope that player can learn a thing or two from a veteran's masterclass.

That wasn't the case with Roethlisberger, who never really took kindly to Rudolph, and to this day admits he had an issue with the selection itself.

Why did Ben Roethlisberger have a problem with Steelers Mason Rudolph pick?

Roethlisberger thought the Steelers could've used the third-round pick on a weapon, or to sure up other spots on the roster. As great as Ben was, his ego wasn't a strong suit.

“We were a really good football team, and he was drafted early. I just felt like we could have maybe picked a player that could have helped us at the moment. We were still a team that was that was competing,” Roethlisberger said on his 'Footbhalin' podcast. “I was not worried about him taking my job. I know some people probably… I thought that was not an issue for me.”

Rudolph received little help from Roethlisberger, who never really dropped his grudge until his playing days were over. By then, Rudolph's reputation as a backup-at-best had already been established. Yet, in 2023, the Steelers exhausted all QB options and eventually settled on the Oklahoma State product, who led Pittsburgh to the playoffs before losing to the Bills in the AFC Wild Card round.

Mason Rudolph earns another chance with the Tennessee Titans

The only problem, of course, is that Rudolph's contract was up at the end of the season. He signed with the Tennessee Titans this past offseason, and has usurped Will Levis on the depth chart. Just last week, Rudolph completed 21-of-29 touchdowns for two touchdowns after taking over for Levis.

Tennessee has three games left on the schedule. Rudolph may not be their long-term answer, but he can prove to yet another team that he deserves a chance, especially in a relatively weak QB free-agency class.

The Titans round out their schedule with three AFC South opponents, starting with the Colts this weekend. No result can help Rudolph travel back in time and tell Roethlisberger I told you so, but a productive end of the season could earn him another chance as an NFL starter. That's more than Roethlisberger ever thought of him.