Pittsburgh Steelers fans have been keeping an eye on their former quarterback Mason Rudolph during his first season with the Tennessee Titans, and finally the veteran signal-caller saw his first action of the 2024 campaign.
Rudolph, who played a huge role in getting the Steelers to the playoffs after a strong late-season showing in 2023, took a backup job with the Titans behind Will Levis during the offseason, officially ending his stint in Pittsburgh.
Rudolph didn't see the field over the first three weeks of the season, despite the fact that Levis was struggling mightily. But he finally got his opportunity on Monday night after Levis exited the game early with a shoulder injury.
Rudolph didn't need to do much, though, as the Titans' defense shut down Miami almost completely. He completed 9-of-17 passes for just 85 scoreless yards, but unlike Levis, he didn't turn the ball over.
The former third-round pick's best play of the game came in the second quarter, when he hit wide receiver Tyler Boyd for a 27-yard gain that put Tennessee in field goal range right before the half. Kicker Nick Folk went on to convert the try.
Big time connection from @Rudolph2Mason ➡️ @boutdat_23 to set up the field goal!
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) October 1, 2024
📺: Watch #TENvsMIA on @ESPNNFL stream on NFL+ pic.twitter.com/D62qEfWo61
On top of getting their first win of the season, the Titans scored 30 points in the game, which was significant because Tennessee hadn't done that in over 1,000 calendar days.
Unfortunately for Rudolph, it doesn't look like he's going to parlay his first action of the season into the starting job, as Titans head coach Brian Callahan revealed Tennessee is going to stick with Levis if he's healthy.
"If Will's healthy, he's our quarterback," Callahan said. "It was not a decision based on anything other than his health and protecting him... he's our starter and when he's healthy, we are ready to roll with him."
However, Callahan also revealed that Levis was hurting "pretty significantly," so there's a chance the Kentucky product might not be ready to play even after Tennessee enjoys its bye in Week 5.
If that turns out to be the case, it'll be Rudolph time in Nashville.
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