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Steelers Rumors: Mason Rudolph Trade Targeted by Teams; PIT 'Reluctant' to Deal QB
August 29, 2022
The Pittsburgh Steelers are reportedly in no hurry to move on from quarterback Mason Rudolph even amid calls from other teams.
According to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero, the AFC North club is "reluctant to deal him" despite interest elsewhere. While Rudolph is expected to be the third-stringer behind Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, Pelissero noted he "is on the books for just $3 million this season and Pittsburgh isn't giving him away."
On Friday, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported "it sounds like the Pittsburgh Steelers would listen at the right price" for a potential Rudolph trade.
The latest development means they haven't received an offer at that price, and holding on to him for the immediate future may be the right call. After all, teams around the league could be in need of a short-term quarterback fix if there are any injuries in the early portion of the season, which would only increase Pittsburgh's leverage in such discussions.
While Rudolph may be best known for being on the receiving end of Myles Garrett's helmet swing during the infamous 2019 incident that resulted in a suspension for the Cleveland Browns defensive end, he has a better resume than most third-stringers.
He is 5-4-1 as a starter over the last three seasons with eight of the starts and all of the wins coming in that 2019 campaign.
The Oklahoma State product completed 62.2 percent of his passes for 1,765 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions in place of Ben Roethlisberger that season and at least helped the team tread water while the starter was sidelined.
Yet Rudolph's long-term future may not be in Pittsburgh.
Not only is he presumably behind a rookie on the depth chart, he is scheduled to hit free agency after the upcoming campaign. He may be a cheap backup option for the Steelers given the current roster construction, but they could garner some value for him in a deal before he potentially leaves this offseason.