Who Is Mason Rudolph? A Complete Look at the Steelers Quarterback’s Career

Football fans searching for information on Mason Rudolph usually fall into one of two camps. Some remember him as the Oklahoma State record-breaker who was once talked about as a future franchise passer. Others know him strictly as the steady backup who has spent most of his NFL career waiting for opportunities and making the most of them when they come.

Both pictures are accurate, and that’s part of what makes Mason Rudolph an interesting case study in NFL career management. He hasn’t followed the typical path of a highly drafted quarterback who either becomes a long-term starter or fades out of the league. Instead, he has built an eight-year career mostly in a backup role, occasionally starting under pressure, and consistently sticking around in a league that is not kind to replaceable players.

This article breaks down who Mason Rudolph is, how his career developed, what his statistics look like, and what his current role tells us about his standing in the NFL.

Direct Answer: Who Is Mason Rudolph?

Mason Rudolph is an American professional football quarterback who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Born July 17, 1995, in Rock Hill, South Carolina, he played college football at Oklahoma State before the Steelers drafted him in the third round in 2018. Rudolph has spent most of his NFL career as a backup, with occasional stretches as a starter, including a one-year stint with the Tennessee Titans in 2024 before returning to Pittsburgh in 2025.

Early Life and College Career

Mason Rudolph grew up in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and attended Northwestern High School, where he developed the arm strength and passing accuracy that would later define his college career. He committed to Oklahoma State University, joining a program known for producing pass-heavy offenses and NFL-caliber quarterbacks.

At Oklahoma State, Rudolph became one of the most productive passers in college football. During his senior season in 2017, he led the NCAA in passing yards and earned multiple honors, including the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, given annually to the top senior quarterback in the country, and the Sammy Baugh Trophy, which recognizes the nation’s best college passer. He also earned Second-team All-Big 12 honors that year and was named MVP of the Camping World Bowl.

By the time he left college, Mason Rudolph had put together a resume that made him a legitimate NFL draft prospect, even though he wasn’t projected as a first-round talent.

Draft and Early NFL Career

The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Mason Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft, the 76th overall pick. At the time, the Steelers already had a franchise quarterback in Ben Roethlisberger, so Rudolph entered the league as a developmental prospect rather than an immediate starter.

That arrangement worked as expected for the first year, but everything changed early in the 2019 season. Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2, thrusting Rudolph into the starting role much sooner than anyone anticipated. His rookie transition into a starting quarterback job was rocky, which is common for young passers pushed into playing time before they’re fully ready. That 2019 season also included one of the more talked-about moments of his career: an on-field altercation with Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict, which led to suspensions and became one of the more memorable, if not flattering, storylines of his early career.

For the next several seasons, Mason Rudolph settled into life as QB2 in Pittsburgh, watching Roethlisberger finish out his Hall of Fame-caliber career.

The 2023 Comeback Stretch

After Roethlisberger’s retirement, the Steelers cycled through other options at quarterback, but Mason Rudolph’s biggest moment with the team came late in the 2023 season. With the Steelers fighting for a playoff spot, Rudolph was named the starter for the final three regular-season games. He led Pittsburgh to three consecutive wins, helped the team clinch a playoff berth, and set a franchise record for completion percentage in a game during that stretch. He then started the Steelers’ Wild Card Round game against the Buffalo Bills.

That late-season run reminded the league that Mason Rudolph could still be a useful spot starter, and it opened the door to his next opportunity elsewhere.

The Tennessee Titans Season

In 2024, Mason Rudolph left Pittsburgh for the first time in his career, signing a one-year deal with the Tennessee Titans worth up to $3.62 million. He appeared in a backup and spot-starting capacity for Tennessee, including being named the starter over Will Levis at one point during the season. The move gave him experience in a different offensive system and reinforced his reputation as a dependable option for a team needing quarterback depth.

Return to Pittsburgh

Mason Rudolph returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2025, back with the franchise that drafted him seven years earlier. His role continued to be defined by the moves happening above him on the depth chart. Heading into the 2026 season, the Steelers re-signed veteran Aaron Rodgers, who reclaimed the starting job he held in 2025. That left Rudolph competing for the backup spot against a crowded quarterback room that also includes Will Howard, a 2025 sixth-round pick, and Drew Allar, a 2026 third-round selection out of Penn State.

This kind of competition is fairly typical for a veteran backup quarterback. Teams often draft or develop younger players at the position while keeping an experienced arm like Mason Rudolph on the roster as insurance in case of injury or inconsistent play from the starter.

Career Statistics

As of the end of the 2025 season, Mason Rudolph’s career NFL passing numbers include:

• 738 career passing attempts
• 475 completions
• 64.4% completion percentage
• 30 touchdown passes against 22 interceptions
• 4,925 passing yards
• 84.7 career passer rating

These numbers reflect a quarterback who has thrown fewer passes than most players at his experience level, largely because he has spent most seasons as a backup rather than a full-time starter. When given the chance to play extended snaps, his completion percentage has generally stayed solid, which is one reason teams have continued to value him as a reliable fill-in option.

Why Mason Rudolph’s Career Path Matters

It would be easy to look at a player who has started fewer than 20 games over eight NFL seasons and assume his story isn’t worth examining. But Mason Rudolph’s career actually says a lot about how NFL rosters really work.

Most fans focus on starting quarterbacks, but every team needs a backup capable of stepping in without a major drop in performance. That role requires patience, staying ready for extended stretches on the sideline, and performing well when opportunities are unpredictable and often come during high-pressure moments, like a playoff push or a season-opening injury to the starter. Rudolph has done that more than once, both in Pittsburgh and in Tennessee.

His situation also illustrates how quarterback depth charts shift year to year. A player can go from starting playoff games to competing for a roster spot within a couple of seasons, depending on front office decisions, draft picks, and which veterans a team decides to sign.

Common Misconceptions About Mason Rudolph

Misconception: He’s related to the professional golfer with the same name. Mason Rudolph, the football player, is not related to the late Mason Rudolph who played professional golf. It’s simply a case of two athletes sharing a name in different sports.

Misconception: He’s a rookie or unproven player. Because he isn’t a household name the way starting franchise quarterbacks are, some assume Rudolph hasn’t been in the league long. In reality, he has been in the NFL since 2018 and has real starting experience, including a playoff start.

Misconception: His limited starts mean he isn’t a capable quarterback. Playing time in the NFL is shaped by many factors beyond raw talent, including who else is on the roster and coaching decisions. Rudolph’s stretch of wins to close the 2023 season showed he can produce results when given a real opportunity.

Common Mistakes People Make When Researching Him

A frequent error is confusing Mason Rudolph’s stats or highlights with those of other quarterbacks who have similar names or played for the same teams during overlapping years. Because he has played for both the Steelers and the Titans, some search results and fan discussions mix up which team he was on during a specific season. It’s also easy to lose track of his timeline, since he left and returned to Pittsburgh, which isn’t the norm for most NFL players.

Key Facts About Mason Rudolph

• Full name: Brett Mason Rudolph III
• Born: July 17, 1995, in Rock Hill, South Carolina
• Height: 6 feet 5 inches; Weight: 235 pounds
• College: Oklahoma State University (2014–2017)
• Drafted: 2018, third round, 76th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers
• Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers (2018–2023), Tennessee Titans (2024), Pittsburgh Steelers (2025–present)
• Notable achievement: Led the Steelers to three straight wins and a playoff berth at the end of the 2023 season

Frequently Asked Questions

What position does Mason Rudolph play? Mason Rudolph plays quarterback in the NFL.

What team does Mason Rudolph play for? He currently plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team that originally drafted him in 2018.

How many teams has Mason Rudolph played for? He has played for two NFL teams: the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Tennessee Titans.

Has Mason Rudolph ever been a starting quarterback? Yes. He has started games for both the Steelers and the Titans, including a run of starts at the end of the 2023 season that helped Pittsburgh reach the playoffs, and a Wild Card Round start against the Buffalo Bills.

Is Mason Rudolph related to the golfer Mason Rudolph? No. The football player and the golfer share the same name but are not related.

What college did Mason Rudolph attend? He played college football at Oklahoma State University from 2014 to 2017, where he set several school and NCAA passing records.

Why isn’t Mason Rudolph a full-time starter? Quarterback depth charts depend on team needs, draft strategy, and which veterans a team chooses to sign. Rudolph has consistently played behind established starters or highly drafted younger quarterbacks, which has kept him in a backup or competing-for-a-roster-spot role for most of his career.

Key Takeaways

• Mason Rudolph is a veteran NFL quarterback currently with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
• He was a standout passer at Oklahoma State before being drafted in the third round in 2018.
• His career includes stints as both a backup and a spot starter, most notably a strong finish to the 2023 season that helped Pittsburgh reach the playoffs.
• He spent the 2024 season with the Tennessee Titans before returning to Pittsburgh in 2025.
• As of 2026, he is competing for a roster spot behind Aaron Rodgers in a crowded Steelers quarterback room.

Conclusion

Mason Rudolph’s career doesn’t follow the typical arc of an NFL quarterback, and that’s exactly what makes it worth understanding. He has moved between starting and backup roles, switched teams once, and continued to find opportunities in a league where roster spots at his position are limited and competitive. Whether he ends up starting more games in Pittsburgh or continues in a depth role, his track record shows a player who has managed to stay in the NFL for nearly a decade by performing reliably whenever he’s been called on.