With first-round selection Kenny Pickett playing well during preseason action, and Mitchell Trubisky keeping up his end of the bargain in the quarterback competition, the Pittsburgh Steelers have three options at the position, with Mason Rudolph also in the fold. But while Rudolph might end up third on the depth chart, according to a new report the team is “reluctant” to trade him at this time.
Part of the reason is financial. Rudolph signed a one-year contract extension in April of 2021, and has a base salary of just $3 million this season.
According to Tom Pelissero with the NFL Network, while the Steelers have received calls, they are not “giving him away:”
The #Steelers have received trade calls on QB Mason Rudolph, but to this point they’ve been reluctant to deal him, per sources. Rudolph is on the books for just $3 million this season and Pittsburgh isn’t giving him away, even if he's 3rd behind Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 29, 2022
With the regular season around the corner, there might be some potential landing spots for Rudolph, such as in Seattle where the Seahawks have named Geno Smith the starting quarterback in Week 1.
Still, the Steelers are in a solid position here, and are going to remain patient it seems.