Despite the 'constant noise' surrounding Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph happy to be back in Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — Mason Rudolph has been in the NFL for more than half a decade now. And like any quarterback that has figured out a way to stick around, he's gotten pretty good at guessing where the pressure might be coming during a given play.

During the Pittsburgh Steelers' first workout of voluntary organized team activities, that pressure didn't come from any of the yellow-clad defenders on the practice field, but from someone who wasn't there.

Yes, Rudolph is well aware of Pittsburgh's very public courtship of Aaron Rodgers. It took all of 90 seconds for Rudolph to be asked about Rodgers on Tuesday. Rudolph just shrugged his shoulders.

He's been here before. Many, many times during the roller coaster that was his first stint with the Steelers from 2018-23, when he evolved from perennial backup to afterthought to unlikely season-saver.

''That's nothing new to me," Rudolph said Tuesday. ''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 can) do nothing but be the best I can be and help our team get better this spring.''

The well-liked Rudolph returned to Pittsburgh on a two-year deal in March after an uneven season in Tennessee. At the time, Rudolph was one of two quarterbacks on the roster as Justin Fields left for the New York Jets and the Steelers opted not to bring back Russell Wilson.

Pittsburgh has since taken a flyer on former Ohio State star Will Howard in the draft, all the while ostensibly keeping one seat open in the quarterback room for Rodgers, who visited the team facility in early spring but left without signing a deal that still is on the table. The 41-year-old has remained publicly non-committal, though he said on Joe Rogan's podcast last week that there are people close to him who are currently battling cancer.

Until Rodgers makes a decision, his status figures to dominate the conversation surrounding a team that has undergone significant roster changes elsewhere since getting drilled at Baltimore in the opening round of the playoffs.

All of it — including acquiring two-time Pro Bowl wide receiver DK Metcalf, who was not on the field Tuesday but has been a regular at the team facility in recent weeks — will remain in the background until there's some finality about Rodgers.

It makes for a challenging work environment, though one that Rudolph might be uniquely qualified to navigate. The Steelers drafted him in 2018, only to have veteran Ben Roethlisberger keep him at arm's length. Rudolph got an extended look in 2019 when Roethlisberger was injured, only to be benched for undrafted rookie free agent Devlin ''Duck'' Hodges. The former Oklahoma State star was promised a chance to compete for the starting job in 2022 after Roethlisberger retired, only to serve as the third wheel behind Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.

Rudolph, however, remained undaunted. He authored an improbable success story in 2023 when he came off the bench late in the season to bring Pittsburgh's moribund offense to life and lead the Steelers to the playoffs.

His reward at the time? Nothing. Pittsburgh didn't make an effort to keep him, opting to sign Wilson and trade for Fields instead. Rudolph spent 2024 in Tennessee, where he went 1-4 as a starter.

Yet when the Steelers approached him about a two-year deal just after free agency began, Rudolph didn't hesitate to return.

''It's obviously good to be wanted,'' said Rudolph, who called Pittsburgh ''a special place."

Though OTAs are voluntary, Rudolph had no plans to miss a snap while trying to familiarize himself with offensive coordinator Arthur Smith's system and reconnecting with old friends such as tight end Pat Freiermuth.

''He's a smart football player, smart quarterback,'' Freiermuth said. ''So he's picking up the system and running with it. So it's been great to work with him and have him ask me some questions about the offense and what Art's thinking.''

The Steelers have not given Rodgers a firm deadline, though coach Mike Tomlin said earlier this spring that he'd like to have his roster set by the time training camp opens in late July.

While there is an informal nature to OTAs, Freiermuth called the time spent together ''very important" from a team development standpoint. Longtime defensive captain Cam Heyward isn't so sure, pointing out that he skipped all of OTAs last year and ended up making the All-Pro team for the fourth time.

''I think any player, you know what you need,'' Heyward said. ''You know what's required of you as you progress toward training camp.''

For Rodgers, that might be focusing on the people closest to him. For Rudolph, it means soaking in every opportunity he's given.

Maybe he's a placeholder for Rodgers. Maybe he's the starter in Week 1. A year ago, the idea he'd one day return to Pittsburgh seemed remote.

And yet here he is, wearing his familiar No. 2 while being in a very familiar position: an option. Maybe not the top option, but one nonetheless.

''I've got a lot of great friends and teammates here, a lot a comfortability with Mike T and the staff,'' Rudolph said. ''Who wouldn't want to be a part of this team and this offense?''

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