Latest Mason Rudolph report makes Steelers look silly for Russell Wilson move

Mason Rudolph won his final three starts in the regular season and led the Pittsburgh Steelers to the NFL Playoffs, something I feel confident saying would not have occurred without him. Yet, despite some mild interest in his return, the Steelers instead reached an agreement with Russell Wilson the day before the legal tampering period opened.

Rudolph should have some interest across the league as a high-end backup or bridge quarterback. He's always been undervalued in Pittsburgh for some reason, as the coaching staff overlooked Rudolph on several occasions for the starting quarterback spot. When he finally got his chance late in 2023, Rudolph delivered, and resurrected his career in the process.

There is still a slim chance that Rudolph returns, per reports, but doing so would put him on the losing end of a three-way battle for starting quarterback, which is a position he's all too familiar with in Pittsburgh. It's likely best to move on, and Rudolph has received plenty of interest from around the league. In fact, it's far more interest than Wilson ever got.

Did the Steelers make a mistake signing Russell Wilson over Mason Rudolph?

The Steelers chose Wilson over Rudolph as veteran competition for Pickett. The Super Bowl-winner Wilson likely has the edge going into training camp, but he'll have to earn the starting job.

It's a win-win from the Steelers point of view, as either Wilson wins the job outright and plays on the veteran minimum, or Pickett finally plays up to his first-round ability.

Rudolph has been left out in the cold once again, but this time he's set to receive multiple offers, showing just how impressed rival teams were with his tape at the end of last year.

Rudolph's play wasn't a fluke, and letting him walk could come back to haunt Pittsburgh should he succeed elsewhere.