The Seattle Seahawks are probably going to be missing Sam Darnold for their Week 2 matchup with the Arizona Cardinals.
Mike Macdonald's defending Super Bowl champions pulled out a win despite their starting quarterback's hip injury during their season opener against the New England Patriots on Wednesday, but would it be worth it for Seattle to pick up the phone and inquire about another veteran signal-caller?
The Pittsburgh Steelers have one in Mason Rudolph, who's bunched in behind cemented starter Aaron Rodgers as things get going. Mike McCarthy's squad also kept young passers Will Howard and Drew Allar on their roster, despite a lot of talk as to whether that would be the smart idea.
Why the Steelers have an obvious Mason Rudolph trade partner
By shipping Rudolph, 31, to the Pacific Northwest, the Steelers would open up another much-needed roster spot. The signal-caller has the bona fides to help a team in the short term.
Rudolph, a eighth-year pro, has had an interesting career arc with the Steelers. As a third-round pick in 2018, then-longtime Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn't particularly take him under his wing, saying shortly after he was drafted the team could've used another playmaker as he chased his third Lombardi Trophy.
When Roethlisberger missed almost all of 2019 with an elbow injury, Rudolph stepped in, was injured and replaced by Devlin "Duck" Hodges, returned and was later benched in favor of the undrafted fan-favorite rookie. In 2023, after slipping to third string behind Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky, he was thrust in late in the campaign and helped the Steelers surge into the playoffs with three straight wins.
In all, Rudolph has made 19 career starts — including five during his one-season sabbatical with the Tennessee Titans — posting a 9-9-1 record.
With Drew Lock having stepped in for Darnold on the fly against New England, going 16-for-22 for 187 yards and a 45-yard touchdown pass to Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Macdonald has a guy he could lean on. Adding Rudolph to the mix could give Seattle another option it could rely on as it aims to repeat, especially if Darnold's injury lingers.
What does Mike McCarthy think of Mason Rudolph?
McCarthy, who's obviously reunited with Rodgers — the two spent 13 seasons together with the Green Bay Packers — has had nothing but compliments for Rudolph.
“Mason has great command of the offense. Just pure on the field game day, he’s very experienced. He’s (a) strong personality in the locker room. I really like his command, understanding the offense,” McCarthy said last month. “He’s been through a number of systems. He’s been asked to do things differently for how we believe in how the quarterback position is played. He’s done an excellent job.”
Rudolph started one game for the Steelers last season, a trip to Chicago, after Rodgers fractured his wrist. Rudolph went 24-for-31 for 171 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the 31-28 loss. Rudolph is in the latter season of a two-year, $7.5 million deal with the Steelers, who like what they've seen out of Howard enough that it's reasonable to believe they'd trust him in game action.
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