Why have the Pittsburgh Steelers decided to keep Mason Rudolph as a 3rd quarterback?
The Steelers have taken the unusual step of keeping three QBs on their roster, but when looking at their situation it may just make sense.
Given that he didn’t secure a starting spot and is now the 3rd string QB, one would’ve expected the Steelers to show Rudolph the door, but it appears that’s not the case.
Mason Rudolph set to remain with Pittsburgh Steelers
There’s a curious situation developing in Pittsburgh, in that Mason Rudolph, who didn’t win the battle to be the Steelers’ starting quarterback, is now set to stay right where he is. Indeed, despite interest in the QB from other teams, the Steelers have seemingly decided that they have no problems going with three quarterbacks on the roster. What does that mean? We’ve got Mitchell Trubisky as the starter, Kenny Pickett as the No. 2 and Mason Rudolph at No. 3.
As strange as that may sound, however, there is method to the madness. Rudolph is the only quarterback who has experience within offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s system. With that in mind, it’s clear that Rudolph brings greater depth to a position that is essentially the most important in the game. Whether that convinces you or not, the fact of the matter is that Steelers GM Omar Khan believes it’s the way forward. “We feel very good about the three quarterbacks,” Khan said recently on the “All Things Covered” podcast with Patrick Peterson and Bryant McFadden. “Coach will decide how things will shake out, but we feel good about the three guys we have on the roster.”
Isn’t three a crowd? Reviewing Mason Rudolph’s situation
As the longest serving QB of the current three, Rudolph brings a wealth of wisdom with him. During the preseason, Rudolph posted 26 of 39 passes for 220 yards with two touchdowns while playing with Pittsburgh’s second- and third-team offenses. Now in his fifth season in the NFL, the former third-round pick has a regular season record of 5-4-1 as a starting quarterback for the Steelers. Interestingly, Rudolph actually came into the summer as Pittsburgh’s No. 2 QB behind Mitchell Trubisky, but after rookie Kenny Pickett turned heads, the veteran has had to settle for being third on the list.
In truth, Rudolph’s chances at landing the starting job were always slim and even more so after the Steelers and Trubisky put pen to paper on a two-year deal. Add to that, the idea that Pickett was selected with the 20th overall pick in April’s NFL Draft and Rudolph’s fate was sealed.
Mason Rudolph by the numbers
To be honest, Rudolph didn’t see much field time during the latter stages of Pittsburgh’s training camp. Though he did relieve Trubisky during the Steeler’s first preseason game, after which he proceeded to throw a touchdown pass to rookie George Pickens, he would eventually have to settle for a spot behind both Trubisky and Pickett against the Jaguars.
As the 76th overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, Rudolph arrived in Pittsburgh following three years as Oklahoma State’s starter. During his time with the Pokes, he threw 92 touchdowns with 26 interceptions. Impressively, he was within touching distance of 5,000 yards passing during his senior year in which he posted 37 touchdowns with just nine interceptions. Incidentally, Rudolph’s favorite partner in crime during his college years was wide receiver James Washington who also happened to be a part of the Steelers’ 2018 rookie class. To that end, the pair enjoyed success during the 2019 campaign as they were an integral part of the Steelers’ 8-5 start, in the wake of a season-ending injury to starter Ben Roethlisberger. Regarding more recent times, Rudolph has started only one game in each of the last two games. In one of those, he threw an impressive 315 yards for two touchdowns and an interception in a 24-22 loss to the Browns in the last game of the 2020 season. While in the other, it can be said he was below par in a 16-16 tie with the Lions in Week 10 of the 2021 season.