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Steelers QB Sends Heartfelt Goodbye to Mike Tomlin

The long-time Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback made sure to ink one last farewell to the coach who drafted him.
Noah Strackbein|
Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images
Dec 28, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) warms up before the game against the Cleveland Browns at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

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Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are moving forward with a new head coach, hiring Mike McCarthy to replace Mike Tomlin. For the first time in 19 years, players needed to say goodbye to a head coach in Pittsburgh, and many of them have shared that goodbye on social media.

The latest to do so is quarterback Mason Rudolph, who sent a heartfelt farewell to Tomlin, acknowledging the time they spent together and the moments that stuck as Rudolph grew into the NFL veteran he is today.

"William & Mary’s finest. Nineteen seasons, 200 wins, two Super Bowl appearances and a Lombardi trophy at age 36.  A gold jacket career by any measure," Rudolph wrote on X.

"Despite coaching thousands of players — you made time for real conversations with all of us. You cared enough to ask about our parents, grandparents, girlfriends, wives, and so many more. Practice squad, or starter, it never mattered to you.

"You drafted me, taught me, challenged me, stayed patient with me, celebrated with me, and most importantly, you kept the same positive energy, win or lose, and never blinked.  You were the unwavering rock for our team and it was a privilege to call you my head coach for seven seasons.  

"I will miss our constant banter, your witty one-liners, and the Denzel Washington-like swagger you carried on Sundays. To the biggest, baddest, most boisterous personality I will likely ever know—Thank you, Mike T."

Rudolph and Tomlin's Time Together

The Steelers selected Rudolph in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft. The Oklahoma State star played his first NFL game in 2019 when Ben Roethlisberger went down with an elbow injury, and finished the season 5-3 as a starter.

Since then, he's played 26 games in a Steelers uniform and holds a 8-5-1 record with 21 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Rudolph spent just one year outside of the Steelers organization, signing with the Tennessee Titans in 2024. He returned last season, signing a two-year deal to be the backup to Aaron Rodgers and an educator for Will Howard.

While Rudolph never became the starting quarterback to succeed Roethlisberger, he's certainly made his mark in Pittsburgh. In 2023, before leaving for the Titans, he ended up with the starting job the final three games of the season, and led the Steelers into the playoffs, replacing Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky.

Now, he's looking to stay on the roster with a new head coach, but is making sure to say goodbye to his former as Tomlin sets off into retirement.

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Noah Strackbein
NOAH STRACKBEIN

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher for On SI, covering the Pittsburgh Steelers since 2019. A Jessup, PA native, Noah attended Point Park University, where he fell in love with the Steel City and everything it has to offer. You can find Noah's work at Steelers On SI and weekdays as the hosts of All Steelers Talk.

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