Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Darnell Washington revealed in a recent interview that quarterback Mason Rudolph was a big mentor for him when he first came into the league in 2023.
"I feel like Mason, to me, he was one of the first mentors I had coming into the league," Washington said on a stream with Zach's Tech Tur f. "His locker, it was to the left of mine, and I heard he was going right back. So, he was the first locker buddy I had. And even before that, also in camp, we were locker buddies. … So I feel like he just helped me and definitely before practice going over the plays, if it was a signal I needed help with or a play I needed help with, or how he coached me of like how to run this route, this is what to expect. This is their timing if they're gonna five-step drop, so I have time to work a defender or things like that. So he for sure helped me a lot. So, love him, man."
If the Steelers don't land Aaron Rodgers , Rudolph could be the starter under center for the Steelers in 2025. If that's the case, team captain Cam Heyward is not sweating it .
"Mason's a good dude. I think Mason proved to a lot of Steelers fans, not just this past year, but last year when he stepped in for us, that he was ready. You know, if we don't sign a quarterback, and we go in the year with Mason, I think we feel good about it," Heyward said. "Excited to have him back. He's really a guy for the locker room, and a lot of guys vibe with him. So to bring him back, part of the group is special."
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph under center against the Baltimore Ravens on Jan. 6, 2024. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Washington and Heyward's comments speak volumes to how much respect Rudolph has in the locker room. If it doesn't end up working out with Rodgers, the fallback option with Rudolph might not be that bad after all.
Rudolph, 29, was selected with the No. 76 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft by the Steelers. He spent the first six years of his career in Pittsburgh before spending last season with the Tennessee Titans .
It was a season to forget for Rudolph, as he was 1-4 as a starter and Tennessee finished a disastrous 3-14.
In total, Rudolph played in eight games. On the season, he completed 64.0% of his passes for 1,530 yards with nine touchdowns, nine interceptions, and a passer rating of 55.5.
Rudolph, 28, was drafted in the third round by the Steelers out of Oklahoma State in 2018. He spent six seasons in Pittsburgh, playing in 21 games and making 13 starts. In six seasons with Pittsburgh, Rudolph completed 63.5% of his passes for 3,085 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and a quarterback rating of 86.9.
More must-reads:
