Mason Rudolph has come alive after serving most of the season as a backup for the Pittsburgh Steelers. After Kenny Pickett got injured, the Steelers turned to Mitch Trubisky, but Rudolph replaced him in the fourth quarter in Week 15, and he has stayed as the starter since.
Rudolph is scheduled to be a free agent heading into 2024 after four seasons in the NFL, and he could be given plenty of offers. So, where could Rudolph land next season?
Mason Rudolph Landing Spots
In his three regular-season starts in 2023, Rudolph won all three, leading Pittsburgh to the playoffs. He also put up decent numbers that will intrigue NFL teams, as Rudolph has displayed he can be a competent backup.
Rudolph has 55 completions from 74 attempts, with a completion percentage of 74.3% in 2023. While having 716 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and no interceptions. His play has led to Rudolph remaining the starter for the Steelers despite Pickett returning from injury.
Which teams could Rudolph end up with in 2024?
Pittsburgh Steelers
There is every chance that the Steelers stick with Rudolph. He has already shown his commitment to the cause, as he could have pushed for a move away before now.
Kenny Pickett hasn’t shown enough in his NFL career that the Steelers can have full confidence in him for 2024, so bringing Rudolph back makes a lot of sense for them. Even with Pickett’s back fit, Rudolph has started ahead of him.
With a backup who knows the system and has shown he can elevate the existing offense, Pittsburgh should explore retaining Rudolph’s services.
New England Patriots
The Patriots will surely be in the quarterback market in the 2024 NFL Draft, where they sit with the third overall pick. But they are going to need to invest in a backup option.
Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe haven’t shown anything in 2023 that warrants their being taken into consideration. New England may explore other options for the pair as they look for a clean slate.
Bringing in a reliable option who can sit behind, presumably, a rookie QB, and step in when necessary needs to happen.
Minnesota Vikings
The Vikings have been unable to settle on a quarterback since Kirk Cousins suffered a season-ending injury. Going from Jared Hall to Joshua Dobbs and Nick Mullins, there has been no consistency.
Add in that Cousins will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the Vikings are in real trouble at the QB position. Sorting out the QB position is the single biggest issue that the Vikings need to address in the offseason.
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Bringing in Rudolph at least brings some clarity to the position. It may be that the Vikings opt to resign Cousins, or they may look at options in the draft, but Rudolph is at least a steady hand who can be the backup in Minnesota in 2024.
It could be that he is only a bridge option to pair with a rookie, or it could be a failsafe in case Cousins gets injured again, but the view is for him to be a backup.
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