As groups put together to unveil their 53-man rosters, there are a number of groups that would love Mason Rudolph to be a part of that equation. The Steelers have obtained commerce requires Rudolph over the previous week, however they’ve little interest in buying and selling him except the supply is just too good to show down, in response to Mark Kaboly of The Athletic.
The Steelers reported reluctance to deal Rudolph is sensible given that he’s the workforce’s solely quarterback that has expertise inside offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s system. Rudolph additionally offers Pittsburgh coveted depth at arguably the league’s most necessary place.
Rudolph’s expertise is probably going the rationale why Steelers normal supervisor Omar Khan just lately mentioned that he would not anticipate any modifications being made to Pittsburgh’s quarterback room earlier than the beginning of the common season.
“We really feel excellent concerning the three quarterbacks,” Khan mentioned throughout a latest look on the “All Issues Coated” podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden. “Coach will resolve how issues will shake out, however we be ok with the three guys we now have on the roster.”
The longest-tenured of the Steelers quarterbacks, Rudolph was 26 of 39 for 220 yards with two touchdowns this preseason whereas taking part in with Pittsburgh’s second- and third-team offenses. The fifth-year veteran and former third-round choose owns a 5-4-1 regular-season document as Pittsburgh’s beginning quarterback. He began the summer time because the Steelers’ No. 2 quarterback behind Mitchell Trubisky however has since moved behind rookie Kenny Pickett within the pecking order.
Whereas the Steelers’ quarterback competitors was billed as a three-man race, it seems that the job was Trubisky’s to lose after Pittsburgh inked him to a two-year deal initially of free company. Rudolph’s odds at being Ben Roethlisberger’s alternative dropped additional after the workforce chosen Pickett with the twentieth total choose in April’s draft.
Rudolph obtained little work with Pittsburgh’s first-team offense in the course of the last levels of coaching camp. He relieved Trubisky within the Steelers’ first preseason recreation (throwing a landing move to rookie George Pickens on his third play from scrimmage), then performed behind each Trubisky and Pickett in opposition to the Jaguars. Rudolph tried simply three passes in Pittsburgh’s preseason finale, a 19-9 win over the Lions.
The 76th total choose within the 2018 NFL Draft, Rudolph arrived in Pittsburgh after being a three-year starter at Oklahoma State, the place he threw 92 touchdowns in opposition to 26 interceptions. He threw for practically 5,000 yards as a senior whereas throwing 37 touchdowns in opposition to simply 9 interceptions. Rudolph’s favourite goal in school was James Washington, who was additionally a member of the Steelers’ 2018 rookie class.
Rudolph and Washington loved a profitable partnership in 2019, serving to the Steelers get off to an 8-5 begin regardless of shedding Roethlisberger to a season-ending harm in Week 2. A concussion sustained in opposition to the Ravens, nonetheless, appeared to have lingering results on Rudolph, who finally misplaced his beginning job to Devlin Hodges late within the season. Rudolph nonetheless managed to go 5-3 that season because the Steelers completed with an 8-8 total document.
Rudolph began only one recreation in every of the final two seasons. He threw for 315 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-22 loss to the Browns within the last week of the 2020 season. Whereas he was spectacular in that recreation, Rudolph was not at his finest throughout his final begin, a 16-16 tie in opposition to the Lions in Week 10 of the 2021 season.