Steelers rumors: Mason Rudolph reunion answered, Damar Hamlin speaks on joining team, LB signed

Mason Rudolph return? Sounds probable

According to an Insider article at ESPN from Bill Barnwell, the Steelers are "likely" to bring back Mason Rudolph (subscription required). Barnwell lumps him in with other free agents who are likely to get a contract, but will need to "compete" in training camp for their spot with the team that they sign with.

That certainly tracks for Rudolph, who has more or less been in that zone for the last several seasons with the Steelers, playing second fiddle to the likes of Kenny Pickett and even third fiddle behind Mitchell Trubisky.

Rudolph was a truly productive player in his three starts in 2023. He went 55-of-74 in passing (74.3 percent) for a rating of 118.0 with three touchdowns and no interceptions. More importantly, he led the team to three consecutive wins on the tail-end of the season to, against all odds, will the Steelers into the postseason for the first time in the post-Roethlisberger era.

Rudolph and the Steelers fell short in a mismatched Wild Card game against Buffalo that was delayed by lake effect snow, but in that game he threw 229 yards, two touchdowns (1 INT) and was sacked once.

Rudolph's inclusion in the depth chart would be a familiar sight, as he's one of the remaining players from the pre-Covid era left.

More interesting, though, will be the players competing for starting and backup roles around him. The Steelers could roll out an uninspiring default competition with Kenny Pickett and Rudolph. Or, they could look to bring in a new face -- like Justin Fields or Kirk Cousins -- in free agency. Heck, don't entirely rule out the possibility a trade-up for another young quarterback in the draft, as unlikely as that feels.

Rudolph is expected to be in the mix, though.