Mason Rudolph Says He Feels 'Wanted' by Steelers amid Aaron Rodgers Contract Rumors

While the NFL world waits for Aaron Rodgers to potentially sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the quarterbacks who is actually on the roster made it clear he feels valued by the team that signed him early in free agency.

"It's great," Mason Rudolph said, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "I've been a part [of teams] where you jump on the moving train late in the spring, and then [others where] you're here from the jump. So I've learned to adapt to both, but it's obviously good to be wanted."

Pittsburgh signed Rudolph to a two-year, $7.5 million deal this offseason. 

The Steelers also selected Ohio State's Will Howard in the sixth round of the draft after signing Skylar Thompson in January. While all three of those players are solid depth pieces, it is fair to question the position room's ceiling as currently constructed.

That's especially the case in a division that features Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow as two of the best quarterbacks in the league.

That is what makes the possibility of signing Rodgers so intriguing. While the 41-year-old is past his peak and struggled at times last season for the New York Jets, he would also elevate the Steelers' ceiling as they look to compete in the AFC North.

But Rudolph isn't worried about the speculation regarding the future Hall of Famer.

"That's nothing new to me," he said. "There's been constant noise that is the nature of the NFL, so I have been used to that for a long time now. I do nothing but be the best I can be and help our team get better this spring."

Playing for Pittsburgh is also nothing new to him, as that was the team that drafted him in the third round in 2018. He started 13 games for the team from 2019-23 and went 8-4-1 with 19 touchdown passes to 11 interceptions.

He started five games last season for the Tennessee Titans and struggled on his way to a 1-4 record with nine touchdown passes and nine interceptions.

The Steelers could put him in a better position to find success than Tennessee did given their strong defense and the presence of DK Metcalf as a top receiving option. But those same factors are surely intriguing to Rodgers as well as the veteran debates his next career move.

For now, though, Rudolph is happy to be "wanted" in Pittsburgh.