Mason Rudolph shrugs off Aaron Rodgers concerns as Steelers wait on 4x MVP: “Nothing new to me”

The perceived starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Mason Rudolph, brushed off the outside noise about who might join the quarterback room.

Mason Rudolph returned to the team in March, signing a two-year deal worth $8 million. Four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers has been linked with a move to an AFC North team, but nothing has materialized yet.

Rudolph told Pro Football Talk via the Steelers website on Thursday that he’s not fazed by the talk of a potential Rodgers signing.

“That’s nothing new to me. There’s been constant noise,” Rudolph said via the team’s website.

“That is the nature of the NFL. So I am used to that for a long time. Now I’m doing nothing but being the best I can be to help our team get better this spring.”

Rodgers has been without a team since the New York Jets released him in February after two seasons, although he missed most of his first campaign due to a torn Achilles tendon. There’s been no deadline set for when Rodgers may join, and retirement for the former Super Bowl champion is also a possibility.

Rudolph played six seasons for the Steelers before moving to the Tennessee Titans for the 2024 campaign, going 1-4 as their starter.

Over the off-season, the Steelers lost starter Russell Wilson to the New York Giants, while Justin Fields signed with the New York Jets.

Rudolph is expected to be #1 on the Steelers quarterback depth chart, with the other pivots being Skylar Thompson and Will Howard, who they drafted in the sixth round this year.

The Steelers won’t recruit Rodgers

While many wait to see what Rodgers will ultimately decide, it appears as though the Steelers won’t be going out of their way to bring the former Green Bay Packer to Steeltown.

The club’s star defensive lineman Cam Heyward told Penn Live Tuesday:

“There’s no need to recruit. It’s been more black and white up front... You roll with who’s here. It’s not guessing. You gotta get to work you put in. You can’t worry about who’s not here.”

Rodgers is 41 years old and will turn 42 in December. He is coming off a season in which he had a completion percentage of 63%, his lowest since 2019 when it was 62%.

“You really just can’t worry about what’s going on outside of here. That’s the way the Steelers have always run the ship,” Heyward added.

The Steelers begin pre-season on August 9 when they travel to EverBank Stadium to face the Jacksonville Jaguars.