The Pittsburgh Steelers needed to turn to their third quarterback option to power into the postseason.
Turns out good things came in threes for the Steelers. The QB3 Mason Rudolph went 3-0 as the starter to send Pittsburgh into the postseason. But what kind of money was Rudolph making during the Steelers’ late charge?
Exploring Mason Rudolph’s Salary With Steelers
Rudolph was earning what NFL fans can consider a backup’s salary. Here’s what was in his contract:
- Rudolph only signed for one year to remain with the Steelers.
- The total value of his deal is $1,080,000.
- That figure also represents his base salary.
- Rudolph contains a $940,000 cap hit.
- His dead cap is also similar to his total value and base salary.
Rudolph agreed to this deal in May 2023. He originally intended to test the free agent market. Ultimately, Rudolph pivoted back to the Steel City.
This 2023 deal follows a one-year deal he signed in 2022. But that one was worth $5,080,000. He also had a signing bonus of $2,080,000.
Safe to say, Rudolph took a significant pay cut to rejoin Pittsburgh. Turns out it’s paid dividends for both parties.
Examining Rudolph’s Play in Late-Season Duty
Again, all it took was three games for Rudolph to win over the Steelers and catapult them back into the playoffs.
And he went on to deliver some of his best production in a career that started in 2019.
Rudolph ended up completing 74.3% of his passes — now the best mark of his career. He has three total touchdowns in the span of three games. Rudolph may not have surpassed the 300-yard mark in all three wins, but he did blow past the 270-yard mark in victories against the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks.
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He also became the only Steelers starting passer to go undefeated in all his starts. He carried the starting reins for a team that had two past first-rounders in Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.
Furthermore, Rudolph became a closet soul snatcher for his opponents. He was the winning QB against a Bengals and Seahawks team that got their postseason hopes damaged because of his play.
Could Rudolph Become a Hot Commodity in Free Agency?
While Rudolph is responsible for keeping the Steelers’ season alive at QB, there’s no telling if he has one more Steelers contract left in him.
At 28, plus now with new playoff experience, Rudolph could intrigue other NFL teams seeking signal-caller help through someone who knows how to create a postseason push.
That could mean a financial spike for Rudolph. Rudolph has never signed a deal that totaled in $5.5 million. The fact he kept a struggling Steelers season alive makes him more appealing than ever this late in his career.
He’s also established a winning record as a starter. Rudolph is 8-4-1 overall as an NFL starting quarterback.
The Steelers will become very fortunate to keep Rudolph for another season in 2024. Judging by their late surge with Rudolph at the controls, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy could be due for something a lot higher than his 2023 deal elsewhere.
Rudolph is PFN’s No. 6 ranked free agent QB ahead of the 2024 cycle. He’s in front of names like Jameis Winston, Sam Darnold, Ryan Tannehill, and Joshua Dobbs.
Want to predict the results of the 2023 NFL postseason with our FREE NFL Playoff Predictor? How about looking into in-depth breakdowns of team depth charts or the NFL playoff schedule? Pro Football Network has you covered with all that and more!
