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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph reacting in the middle of an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The New York Jets could use another quarterback.
Omari Brown of Jets X-Factor told Jake Asman that if he were running the ship, he’d add another QB to the bullpen. One of the potential targets he mentioned was Pittsburgh Steelers passer Mason Rudolph.
“Yeah, I absolutely [think they can add a veteran QB]. My preference would be to go for one of those guys because again, you have a rookie, you have a veteran in Geno Smith, now I kind of want to get somewhere in the middle. So I want a younger veteran,” Brown explained on “The Jake Asman Show.”
“Somebody that has been in the league for say two to five years that can come in and you still think that their best football is ahead of them … Even somebody like Mason Rudolph. Now again, these aren’t names that are going to excite you, but if something does happen. Let’s say, for argument’s sake, the Jets are like 3-4 or 3-5, and there is an injury to Geno Smith, and you just don’t feel like Cade Klubnik is ready yet. Wouldn’t you feel better knowing that you had a guy who has starting experience? A Mason Rudolph who has won some games for the Pittsburgh Steelers,” Brown added.
The Details on Rudolph
Rudolph, 30, will turn 31 before the start of the 2026 season.
He entered the league as the No. 76 overall pick in the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Across his eight years in the league, Rudolph has appeared in 34 games and has made 19 starts.
With those opportunities, Rudolph has completed 64.4% of his passes, has thrown for 4,925 passing yards, and owns a 30 touchdown to 22 interception ratio.
He holds a 9-9-1 record as a starting quarterback at the NFL level.
Jets Will Have to Acquire Rudolph
The former Oklahoma State product is not a free agent. He has one year left on his $7.5 million contract through the 2026 season with the Steelers.
Perhaps the Jets could strike a trade with the Steelers to bring him in. Or the Jets could remain patient and see what happens with that Pittsburgh quarterback room.
They have four quarterbacks on the roster as they head into training camp:
Let’s clear this up. Rodgers is the starting quarterback, so he isn’t going anywhere. Allar was just selected with the No. 76 overall pick in April’s draft; he isn’t going anywhere.
That leaves us with Howard vs Rudolph. The Steelers are unlikely to hold four quarterbacks on the roster. So one of these two is likely going to be exiting stage left.
On the “Steelers Collective” podcast, Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said that Howard has a “leg up” on the competition to win the QB2 job.
If that holds, then Howard wouldn’t be going anywhere either. That would leave Rudolph as the odd man out.
That player won’t excite many people, but the free agent options are extremely limited. This current group of Jets backups: Klubnik, Bailey Zappe, and Brady Cook don’t inspire much confidence.
ESPN’s Rich Cimini said on the “Jets Collective” podcast that Zappe has been unimpressive this spring. Zack Rosenblatt of The Athletic described Brady Cook as “looking like Brady Cook,” and no, that isn’t a compliment.
Rudolph is a name to watch over the coming months for the Jets.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
