Since the Aaron Rodgers signing was not technically a done deal, Mason Rudolph was at the forefront of discussion as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ starting quarterback for the last few months. As of this past week that dynamic has changed.
Frankly, most people saw this move coming. The Rodgers connection had been established for a while. An official announcement was only a matter of time.
And though Rudolph was likely aware of all these circumstances, there could be some frustrations on his part. He knows the Steelers and has proven capable at a minimum at managing things under center for this team before.
Nonetheless, Pittsburgh moves forward with Rodgers at QB1 and Rudolph serving as his understudy. But just as the belief on Rodgers eventually arriving with the Steelers never changed, Rudolph says the same goes for his approach in 2025.
“I had a feeling they were gonna bring somebody in. Obviously Aaron is at the forefront of the conversation for a long time,” he told Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now. Rudolph was preparing to throw the first pitch at a Pittsburgh Pirates home game.
“I won’t change my approach. We got one more week of practice coming up at mandatory minicamp. It will be nice to get everybody in the building and keep doing what I’ve done my whole career. I’ve had plenty of adversity and found a way to battle through it. Stay ready.”
It’s the right mindset to have and the best one to have in this situation. Despite Rudolph’s familiarity within the building, Rodgers’ cachet was never going to allow for much competition here.
However, Rodgers’ durability could become a question as he embarks on another grueling 18-game campaign. Nearly two years ago his durability wore thin and an Achilles injury ended his 2023 season early.
Hopefully he avoids such catastrophe in what could be his final season, but it is a glaring reminder that anything can happen when it comes to aged quarterbacks. If the Steelers find success with Rodgers but lose him for any period of time, “staying ready” becomes more of a necessity than a suggestion.
