The Steelers bring back their former third-round draft pick

The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed a quarterback. They are bringing back Mason Rudolph on a two-year deal worth $8 million with $4.5 million guaranteed, per Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

The Steelers drafted Rudolph in the third-round of the 2018 NFL Draft, and he would go on to start 13 games for the Steelers from 2018-23.

Rudolph started eight games as a rookie due to Ben Roethlisberger suffering a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks. Rudolph entered the game and nearly won it, throwing two touchdown passes in his first taste of NFL action. Pittsburgh lost 28-26.

His most notable stretch of games, though, came in 2023. With Kenny Pickett injured and Mitch Trubisky struggling, the Steelers turned to Rudolph against the Cincinnati Bengals. The 7-7 Steelers had slim playoff hopes, but Rudolph threw for 290 yards and two scores to lead the Steelers to a 34-11 win. The Steelers won their next two games against the Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens, as well, and snuck into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.

This was the first domino in the Steelers parting ways with Kenny Pickett and going with a quarterback room of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields in 2024 after Rudolph himself signed with the Titans. He threw nine touchdowns and nine interceptions in five starts with Tennessee in 2024, and now returns to Pittsburgh as the likely No. 2 quarterback.

It remains to be seen who will operate as the Steelers’ starting quarterback in 2025, but a familiar face will handle backup duties. Mason Rudolph is returning to Pittsburgh, Mike Garafolo and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network report.

This will be a two-year pact worth $8MM. Rudolph will collect $4.5MM in guarantees upon returning to the Steelers after playing with them from 2018-23. Another pact with the Titans received consideration, per the report, but Rudolph’s preference was to come back to Pittsburgh.

The Steelers rebuilt their QB room last offseason, allowing Rudolph to take a one-year Titans deal and trading away Kenny Pickett. They were replaced by Russell Wilson and Justin Fields, setting up a notable one-year experiment with both new passers on expiring deals. Fields was the team’s preference regarding a 2025 deal, but he is headed to the Jets. That leaves Wilson as a fallback option in Pittsburgh’s case, although he has visits lined up with the Giants and Browns.

Of course, the Steelers are among the suitors for Aaron Rodgers. The NFL’s next major quarterback domino will be his decision on playing in 2025, and if so, where. Pittsburgh has made an offer, and Dianna Russini of The Athletic notes the team is waiting to hear back from him. The four-time MVP has other suitors, and the Giants have frequently been mentioned as a potential landing spot. The Vikings, meanwhile, still find themselves in the mix.

However things shake out atop the depth chart for Pittsburgh, Rudolph’s return will give the team a familiar backup option. The 29-year-old made 13 starts across his Steelers tenure, with eight of them coming in 2019. He posted a passer rating of 86.9 along with a 19:11 touchdown-to-interception ratio in Pittsburgh, numbers which left plenty to be desired. Rudolph’s one-year Titans pact came with limited expectations but it allowed him to compete for the starting gig.

Will Levis‘ second year in the NFL did not go according to plan in Tennessee, and the team benched him in December. That opened the door for Rudolph to see playing time, and the Oklahoma State product made five starts amongst his eight appearances. After going 1-4 in that span and throwing as many touchdown passes (nine) as interceptions, it comes as little surprise Rudolph waited longer than many of the other quarterbacks on the market to land a deal. He is returning to an organization which valued him throughout his career, though, and it will be interesting to see if h winds up seeing any playing time in 2025.

Think you can figure out which Steelers player we’re talking about? You’ll get five clues to figure him out in our new guessing game!

Hey Steelers fans! We’re back for another day of the Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 daily trivia game. Game instructions are at the bottom if you’re new to the game! Feel free to share your results in the comments and feedback in this Google Form.

Today’s Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 game

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Behind the Steel Curtain in-5 instructions

The goal of the game is to guess the correct Steelers player with the help of up to five clues. We’ll mix in BOTH ACTIVE AND RETIRED PLAYERS. It won’t be easy to figure it out in one or two guesses, but some of you might be able to nail it.

After you correctly guess the player, you can click “Share Results” to share how you did down in the comments and on social media. We won’t go into other details about the game as we’d like your feedback on it. How it plays, what you think of it, the difficulty level, and anything else you can think of that will help us improve this game. You can provide feedback in the comments of this article, or you can fill out this Google Form.

Enjoy!

Vote on the greatest front office moments in Steelers history

Here are the final matchups in Round 2 of Steelers March Madness 2025. This year, our NCAA-style tournament of Steelers moments is focusing on front office moves. If you haven’t yet voted on the brackets, go back to DAY 1, DAY 2 & DAY 3.

BANANA SPLIT BRACKET

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1 seed: April 3, 1993 – Signed free agent linebacker Kevin Greene

(signed a three-year, $5.35 million deal)

Greene came to Pittsburgh in free agency because of Defensive Coordinator Dom Caper’s 3-4 system. He didn’t come cheap. He was the highest-paid Steelers defender ever at the time. Greene was only in Pittsburgh for three seasons, but in those 48 games, he earned 35.5 sacks, two Pro Bowls, and an All-Pro season in 1994. He played in two AFC Championship games for Pittsburgh and one Super Bowl.

VS

8 seed: March 18, 2008 – Signed free agent center Justin Hartwig

(signed two-year, $4 million deal)

Photo by George Gojkovich/Getty Images

Hartwig was the NFL’s highest-paid center in Carolina, but injuries caused the Panthers to draft his replacement. Hartwig also received an offer from Kansas City, his hometown team, but after meeting with Mike Tomlin, his agent convinced him to sign with Pittsburgh. Hartwig started all 32 games during his two years with the Steelers, plus Super Bowl XLIII.

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2 seed: March 14, 2006 – Signed free agent safety Ryan Clark

(signed a four-year, $7 million deal)

Set Number: D153547 TK1 R1 F32

After two seasons, Washington cut Clark but was willing to bring him back on a smaller, minimum contract. R.C. felt disrespected, so he chose to test the market. Pittsburgh was his only offer. Clark went on to play in 80 games, starting 78, and made three Super Bowl appearances.

VS

7 seed: August 21, 1995 – Signed free agent kicker Norm Johnson

(signed a two-year deal)

Photo by Craig Hacker/Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images

After 13 seasons in Pittsburgh, Gary Anderson left for Philadelphia when the Steelers offered him a contract he couldn’t accept. Pittsburgh came to camp with kicker Dean Biasucci, but he was struggling. Johnson happened to be available. Despite making 90 percent of his kicks in Atlanta, he had been replaced by Morten Andersen. Johnson’s special teams coach in Atlanta, Bobby April, was now in Pittsburgh. Johnson went on to lead the league in field goals in 1995. He played in 63 games over four seasons, including Super Bowl XXX.

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3 seed: September 16, 2019 – Traded for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

(traded 2020 1st round pick (18th overall, Austin Jackson), 2020 5th round pick (154th overall, Jason Strowbridge) and 2021 6th round pick (207th overall subsequently traded, Jonathan Marshall) to Dolphins for Minkah Fitzpatrick, 2020 4th round pick (135th overall, Kevin Dotson) and 2021 7th round pick (245th overall, Tre Norwood))

Photo by Nick Cammett/Getty Images

Fitzpatrick wasn’t happy with how he was being used in Miami, so he requested a trade. Despite losing Ben Roethlisberger for the season hours earlier, Pittsburgh made the deal. With the Steelers, Fitzpatrick has acquired five Pro Bowl seasons and three All-Pro campaigns.

VS

11 seed: August 29, 2017 – Traded for tight end Vance McDonald

(traded 2018 4th round pick (#128 Kentavius Street) to SF for Vance McDonald and 2018 5th round pick (#148 Marcus Allen))

Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

San Francisco had been trying to shop McDonald earlier in the spring. It was apparent to them that George Kittle had starting potential. Pittsburgh was a buyer because the previous year’s addition, Ladarius Green, failed. McDonald spent four years in Pittsburgh, playing in 53 games, starting 47 of them, plus two playoff games.

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4 seed: April 17, 1999 – Traded down for linebacker Joey Porter’s pick

(traded 1999 2nd round pick (44th overall, Jim Kleinsasser) to Vikings for 1999 2nd round pick (59th overall, Scott Shields), 1999 3rd round pick (73rd overall, Joey Porter) and 1999 5th round pick (163rd overall subsequently traded, Craig Heimburger)

SetNumber: X72714 TK2

Minnesota was willing to give up a third-round pick to move up 15 spots in the second. They had their eye on tight end Jim Kleinsasser. Pittsburgh’s eventual second-round pick, Scott Shields, only made two starts, but that additional third-round pick turned into 3x Pro Bowler and Super Bowl XL champion Joey Porter.

VS

12 seed: November 1, 2022 – Traded away receiver Chase Claypool

(traded Chase Claypool to Bears for 2023 2nd round pick (32nd overall, Joey Porter))

Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images

Chase Claypool had not yet become Mapletron as once predicted. Although the Steelers could only get a third-round pick for Antonio Brown three years earlier, Pittsburgh somehow got a second-round pick from Chicago for Claypool. That pick ended up becoming current starting cornerback Joey Porter Jr.

Come back next week to vote on the Sweet 16!

As the Giants and Steelers have hovered as the leaders in this unusual Aaron Rodgers sweepstakes for multiple days, the future Hall of Fame quarterback is still deliberating. Rodgers is well aware the Giants and Steelers are interested, but the third team linked to him over the weekend is still believed to be in the mix.

Rodgers remains intrigued by playing for the Vikings, The Athletic’s Dianna Russini and Michael Silver note. Minnesota continues to evaluate its QB options, and we heard over the weekend Rodgers is one of them. While completing the Full Favre would be make for an eerie parallel for his one-time Packers successor, Minnesota has some selling points the other two suitors do not.

Kevin O’Connell is the reigning NFL Coach of the Year, riding to that honor mostly as Sam Darnold went from bottom-tier starter and borderline draft bust to an original-ballot Pro Bowler who threw 35 touchdown passes in guiding the Vikings to a stunning 14-3 record. Darnold targeted All-Pro wide receiver Justin Jefferson, former first-rounder Jordan Addison and Pro Bowl tight end T.J. Hockenson. Longtime Rodgers teammate Aaron Jones also did heavy lifting for the 2024 Vikings, and he is back on a two-year, $20MM deal.

Minnesota also finished with a top-five defense last season, and during a week in which the team re-signed Byron Murphy and retained Harrison Smith, the Vikes added veteran D-linemen Jonathan Allen and Javon Hargrave. Brett Favre joined a Vikings team that had lost a wild-card game in 2008, albeit with a much worse record than last year’s Minnesota edition; Rodgers may be interested in helping a team to a higher level. Though, the four-time MVP failing to do so in New York — ahead of a Wednesday release — offers a warning sign for the suitors.

Favre took the Vikings to the 2009 NFC championship game, delivering an MVP-caliber season at 40. That ended badly, with a reckless interception stalling a potential game-winning Vikings drive in the NFC championship game. But Favre delivered a strong season at 40, beating Rodgers’ Packers twice. Unretirement No. 3 in 2010 did not go as well, as Favre’s ironman streak ended during a 6-10 Vikes season.

Rodgers is rumored to be interested in playing two more years, which is where a Minnesota decision would become complicated. Unlike in 2009 when they recruited Favre, the Vikings have a young quarterback (J.J. McCarthy) they are planning to build around. The 2009 Vikes had seen three Tarvaris Jackson seasons, as both a starter and backup, by that point. This Vikings regime is high on McCarthy, having centered its 2024 offseason around him before a meniscus tear entrenched Darnold at QB1. Rodgers may not be too keen on serving as a bridge who faces the risk of being benched during his first season with the team.

Chances are, he would not face that reality in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are not in position to grab a starter-level QB in the draft, though one of the QBs off the Cam Ward/Shedeur Sanders tier may rise up draft boards during the pre-draft process. But Rodgers could have a path, even as he will turn 42 in December, to starting throughout for a Steelers team that has a strong defensive nucleus — and one that just acquired D.K. Metcalf to play alongside George Pickens.

The Steelers have made their offer, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac reports, adding that money is not believed to be driving this Rodgers delay. The decorated quarterback has not publicly confirmed he even intends to play in 2025, though that has been the expectation for a bit. Although the Steelers are unlikely to essentially hand the keys to Rodgers in the way the Jets did, their hesitation on Russell Wilson does raise the stakes for this particular free agency pursuit.

Wilson looms as a Steelers backup option, but time may be ticking there, too. Wilson is visiting the Browns on Thursday and Giants on Friday. While Wilson has settled in behind Rodgers within the QB free agent hierarchy — to the point the Giants would be unlikely to sign him before they know they are out of the Rodgers derby — he remains a capable starting quarterback who could be a bridge option to a rookie.

The Vikings being in the Rodgers mix as well stands to give the 20-year veteran a good chance to remain a starter in 2025. While Rodgers is well off the 2012 Peyton Manning level in terms of free agency prize, as the all-time great’s free agency decision stalled the NFL that offseason, the Rodgers free agency is slowing the market for at least one quarterback and probably a couple more.

The two teams in this derby who do not land Rodgers figure to place an immediate call to Wilson’s camp. Options tail off soon after. Gardner Minshew is available, and Joe Flacco is interested in playing an age-40 season. The line moves to Jameis Winston, Carson Wentz and Mason Rudolph after. The Falcons continue to hold Kirk Cousins hostage, intent on keeping him for a potential trade market.

Whether the Steelers want to play him outside or in a power slot role, Higgins provides some route running polish with a big frame.

Approaching the 2025 NFL Draft, we’ll be scouting as many of the top prospects that the Pittsburgh Steelers could have their eye on anywhere from Rounds 1 through 7. We’ll break down the prospects themselves, strengths and weaknesses, projected draft capital and their fit with the Steelers.

The Steelers have already made one big move for a receiver this offseason, but with the new league year still young, we can’t rule out more additions. While the Steelers exchanged their second round pick — the round I expect Higgins to go in — we can’t rule out any future trades. The Steelers could trade back from their first pick, move receiver George Pickens, or even trade back into the second.

Higgins provides inside and outside versatility in a big frame the Steelers could covet.

Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images

The basics on Jayden Higgins

• Position: Wide Receiver
• Class: Senior
• Size: 6’4, 214 pounds, 33 1/8” arms, 9 1/8” hands
• Age: Turns 23 on Dec. 15
• Projected draft round: 2nd
• Pro Comparison: Somewhere between Kenny Golladay and Chris Henry

Combine Results & RAS Score

Stats via ESPN

Jayden Higgins scouting report

Coming out of high school, Higgins was not a highly sought after recruit. Growing up in the football hotbed of Miami, Higgins was lost in the shuffle. 24/7 Sports ranked him as a two-star prospect and the 459th receiver in the country. Higgins committed to Eastern Kentucky, eventually transferring to Iowa State in 2023.

It’s there that he thrived. If the Steelers move on from Pickens this year, or next, they’ll find a lot of similar traits in Higgins’ game. Both are tall with similar athletic traits.

And like Pickens, Higgins is a phenomenal contested catch target. While he’ll need to show he can beat press coverage at the NFL level, Higgins possesses a promising release package and has shown the body control and tracking ability that should translate to the pros.

That’s all the more impressive the more you dive into Iowa State’s tape. For a program that has two Day 2 worthy receiver prospects, the Cyclones had some difficult to watch quarterback tape. Check out this stat from Brett Kollman, where he says Higgins had the third-most targets in the country that were considered bad throws by the quarterback.

Overall, I like Higgins’ route running and spatial awareness.

But Higgins offers more than just a vertical threat. Iowa State would often throw him in the power slot role, or set him up for one-on-one opportunities while running RPOs.

His inside versatility is extra enticing because Higgins has shown that he is a willing blocker on tape. Having a big target that can win on routes inside the numbers as well as grind it out in the running game is a match made in heaven for an Arthur Smith offense.

Strengths

• Inside-outside versatility, excels in power slot role
• Steady hands, very few drops on tape
• Quick feet, short-area burst

Weaknesses

• Long speed
• Needs to work on consistency with catch point aggression, letting defenders into his body on contested catches
• Still developing release against press coverage

What others are saying about Jayden Higgins

Kyle Crabbs for The 33rd Team

Higgins is a physical player who showcases the ability to play through contact and offers surprising quickness at the line of scrimmage. He’s equally fluid at the top of the route stem and has illustrated the ability to create separation if given a lot of extra space to attack.

As an outside receiver, Higgins boasts modest vertical stacking ability, which could eat into his ability to successfully threaten NFL corners in off-coverage. This is a frame that would be well implemented in running schemes, too — Higgins boasts some great length and heavy hands. He pairs it with a good effort as a frontside blocker. Higgins should offer something for everyone, but run-focused offenses looking to work out of 11p will like his physical profile.

Lance Zierlein of NFL.com

He’s smooth but physical in his routes and does a nice job of creating pockets of separation with force and strength. He has mismatch qualities from the slot with body control and a catch radius that make him a menace on jump balls downfield. He won’t outrun cornerbacks and is nothing special after the catch, but his size, ball skills and competitiveness create a profile of production as a future contributor in three-wide sets.

Dame Parson of Bleacher Report

Higgins’s game revolves around tempo, pacing, and leveraging. He stems routes to set up defenders vulnerable at the break point. The way he attacks leverages resembles a veteran receiver. He has a high football IQ and plays all three receiver positions at Iowa State.

Higgins is a talented contested catch receiver and ball tracker. He is savvy; staying patient and calm as the football is descending. His hands are soft and reliable to pluck the ball away from his frame. Higgins has excelled in contested catch situations his entire collegiate career. He is a good red-zone threat because of his height, wingspan, and timing. Tracks the ball calmly and poise while flashing late hands to make the catch.

Photo by Luke Lu/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Higgin’s fit with the Steelers

In a world where the Steelers keep George Pickens, the addition of Higgins would give the Steelers a trio of 6’3 and taller receivers. Higgins would slide help emphasize the Steelers’ commitment to the vertical passing game. With his ability to play the “power slot” role, he’d likely see a ton of early run as the Steelers’ third wide receiver in 11-personnel sets.

If the Steelers move on from Pickens, this year or the next, Higgins slides into Pickens’ old role while arguably providing more versatility.

TL;DR: Higgins would be a solid addition and further double down on the Steelers’ commitment to the Arthur Smith’s scheme. Able to play outside and in the slot, Higgins can win in multiple phases with his size, toughness, and precision.

What are your thoughts on Jayden Higgins? And which draft prospects would you like to see profiled next? Let us know in the comments below!

The Steelers’ 2024 starter is scoping out his options.

Now officially a free agent, veteran quarterback Russell Wilson is making the rounds, officially scheduled to make a visit with the Cleveland Browns on Thursday followed by a visit with the New York Giants on Friday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon.

The Giants have also been in talks with Aaron Rodgers, who’s mulling his options which will undoubtedly have some sort of ripple effect on the eventual landing spot for Wilson. NFL reporter Judy Battista reported that Wilson appears to be the Giants’ “plan B” while Rodgers is “plan A”. Meanwhile, Diana Russini of The Athletic reported Wednesday that the Minnesota Vikings could also be in play for Rodgers.

The Cleveland Browns, meanwhile, still have Deshaun Watson under contract, likely to miss most of the 2025 season after re-rupturing his Achilles tendon — an injury that ended his 2024 campaign. The team made a move to acquire former Steelers quarterback (and Super Bowl champion!) Kenny Pickett from the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for backup QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson and a fifth-round pick earlier this week. The signing of Wilson by the Browns would be an entertaining move, at the very least, given that Pickett found himself in a QB competition with Wilson just last offseason, leading up to his trade to the Eagles.

The Pittsburgh Steelers aren’t necessarily out of the mix for Wilson, either, despite his exploration of other options. Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted the potential that the Steelers revisit Wilson as a starter, should Pittsburgh be unable to come to a financial agreement with Rodgers.

The consensus preference for Rodgers over Wilson is an intriguing one, as the latter had a generally more efficient season in his limited starts, with an edge in win percentage, pass yards per attempt, completion percentage, rushing production and interception rate per Stathead. Rodgers and Wilson were each tied with a 4.8% passing touchdown rate.