Mason Rudolph steps out as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers once again. A former Steelers linebacker is facing charges in Allegheny County. The Pirates hit the road to face a division rival.

And the Pitt Panthers football team gets some bad luck in the transfer portal.

All that in Monday’s “First Call.”

Marathon man

Mason Rudolph is talking about what it’s like to be back in Pittsburgh.

The recently reacquired Steelers quarterback was on the North Shore on Sunday in support of the Pittsburgh Kids Marathon.

“Being back in the city of Pittsburgh, it’s a sports town like no other,” Rudolph told WTAE. “Any time we get to repay that, it’s always a fun opportunity.”

The 2023 regular season hero signed a free-agent contract to come back to Pittsburgh after spending last year with the Tennessee Titans. As of now, he is the No. 1 QB on the depth chart and will likely stay that way until or unless Aaron Rodgers signs his long-awaited contract.

Steelers defensive back Beanie Bishop was on-hand with Rudolph as well. Bishop will be battling Brandin Echols for the top spot on the depth chart at slot corner.

Former Steeler arrested

As reported by KDKA radio’s Colin Dunlap, former Steeler Devin Bush was arrested by Bell Acres police Sunday. He’s facing charges of simple assault and harassment.

No further details about the nature of the complaint were advanced.

The simple assault charge is listed as a misdemeanor. The harassment charge is a summary offense.

Bush is currently a member of the Cleveland Browns. He last played with the Steelers in 2022 before joining the Seattle Seahawks.

The 26-year-old re-signed with the Browns on a one-year, $3.25 million contract this offseason. In 2019, Bush was the Steelers’ first-round pick. The club moved up 10 spots in a trade with the Denver Broncos to draft him.

Upcoming Local Events

More local events
More sports

• Tim Benz: Home woes, offensive ineptitude have Derek Shelton searching for answers
• Madden Monday: Penguins parting ways with Mike Sullivan 'highlights how ludicrous it is' the Steelers keep Mike Tomlin
• Jane Bareikis defends title, photo finish among highlights at 2025 Pittsburgh Marathon

Portal procedure

The Pitt football team lost one player and one target in the transfer portal over the weekend.

According to On3Sports, tight end Jake Renda is leaving the Panthers for UCLA.

Renda caught two passes in 2023 for 14 yards. He was primarily used as a reserve and on special teams. The Princeton, N.J., native has two years of eligibility remaining. He joined Pitt’s program as a member of the 2021 class out of IMG Academy.

Also, as noted at Pittsburgh Sports Now, the Panthers were unable to land Ohio transfer Bralen Henderson. The Central Catholic graduate announced on social media that he’ll be transferring to Missouri instead.

Henderson has a year left of eligibility. He is a 6-foot-2, 280-pound defensive lineman who reportedly had offers out of the portal from at least a dozen other schools.

As the Bobcats won the MAC, Henderson played in 14 games and recorded 26 tackles (14 solo), two for loss and a sack.

Calling on the Cards

In the wake of a sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres this weekend, the Pirates hit the road for three games in St. Louis.

These are the two worst teams in the National League Central. The Pirates are in last place at 12-23, four games behind the fourth-place Cardinals.

The Cards are at least good at home. They are 12-6 so far at Busch Stadium, and they just swept the National League East-leading New York Mets in a doubleheader on Sunday.

Wilson Contreras had three hits, including a homer in the first game as the Cardinals won 6-5.

Victor Scott III was the hero of Game 2. He got the game-winning RBI in the sixth to make it 5-4 St. Louis. He also robbed Juan Soto of a potential homer.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado showed off some defense too.

Pittsburgh’s Carmen Mlodzinsk (1-3, 6.58 ERA) faces Miles Mikolas (1-2, 4.66) in the series opener Monday. Paul Skenes (3-3, 2.74) looks to bounce back from Thursday’s rough outing against Mike Liberatore (2-3, 3.44) on Tuesday.

Mitch Keller (1-3, 4.38) is on the mound for the Pirates on Wednesday afternoon against Sonny Gray (3-1, 4.12) to wrap up the series.