Extension gives Mason Rudolph security as he pursues starting job with Steelers in 2022

Mason Rudolph doesn’t know if he will be a starting quarterback or if he’ll be a backup when the 2022 NFL season arrives.

He just knows he’ll be playing for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

And that’s good enough for him.

Rudolph talked Tuesday about his decision to take a year of security with the Steelers — without the guarantee of playing time — when he agreed to a contract extension in April.

“I wanted to be in Pittsburgh,” Rudolph said in his first interview since signing the extension. “This is where I was drafted. This is home. This is where I want to continue to play.”

Rudolph is the only one of the four quarterbacks on the roster with a contract that extends beyond 2021 when he will serve as Ben Roethlisberger’s backup. The extension that covers 2022 is worth $5 million and included a signing bonus of nearly $2.1 million.

Rudolph’s extension coincided with the first round of the NFL Draft and sent a signal that the franchise wouldn’t be looking for a quarterback of the future in that prospect class. Previously, his four-year rookie contract was set to expire next March.

“It’s a vote of confidence,” Rudolph said. “It’s encouraging, and Pittsburgh is a place where I want to be for a long time.”

Roethlisberger, who agreed to a $5 million pay cut for this season, is playing on a one-year deal and could retire in 2022 when he will turn 40. Dwayne Haskins, the former first-round pick of the Washington Football Team, is on a one-year futures deal, and Joshua Dobbs signed a one-year deal in free agency to compete with Haskins for the No. 3 job on the Steelers.

Rudolph is aware that circumstances could change next offseason. Roethlisberger could elect to play another year. The Steelers could take a quarterback in the first round of the draft. Haskins could emerge as a starting candidate.

“You don’t ever really have any clarity or idea of what any team in this league is going to do year to year,” Rudolph said. “You have to make the best decision for yourself in the moment. I know I want to be a Steeler, stay in Pittsburgh. I have as good a chance as any here to accomplish my goals.”

And that goal, of course, is to be the starting quarterback.

Rudolph has made nine starts the past two seasons — the first eight coming when Roethlisberger spent all but two games of the 2019 season on injured reserve. Rudolph also started the 2020 regular-season finale in Cleveland when he passed for 315 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in a 24-22 loss.

“That’s my goal — to be a starting quarterback in this league, for this team,” he said. “I’m working toward that goal every single day. I can only control myself, the way I prepare, the way I approach and play in OTAs, at training camp and that is on the forefront of my mind.

“I’m not worried about ’22. I’m trying to live in the moment and be the best I can be for my team.”

Rudolph thinks he is better equipped to handle the backup role this season because of the work he did last year with Matt Canada, who was in his first year as an NFL quarterbacks coach before being promoted to offense coordinator. In Rudolph’s first two seasons, then-offensive coordinator Randy Fichtner also handled the quarterback coaching responsibilities.

“I will say having Matt Canada, having a quarterbacks coach really helped me take some steps forward in developing, having that confidant week to week, someone you can go to and ask questions,” Rudolph said. “He did a great job. All but one I was slotted to be the backup. But he had a plan for me. ‘What are your favorites? What are your top 10 drop-back concepts, RPOs, play-action?’ Just going through the mental gymnastics of preparing yourself, and if I have to play, we have a plan in place to make it a smooth transition.”

After Canada was promoted in January to replace Fichtner, the Steelers added long-time NFL quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan as his successor. Sullivan’s most famous pupil in an NFL career that dates to 2002 is former New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning.

“It’s been great with Mike,” Rudolph said. “He’s a drill guy, a structured detail-oriented guy. He has a lot of information for us and holds us accountable. Whether it’s drills on the field, he’s big on footwork, little things, carrying out fakes, being diligent. Mike has a lot of wisdom, and I’m looking forward to continuing to work with him.”