It looked for a brief moment that the Pittsburgh Steelers were going to be content with handing the starting job over to Mason Rudolph in 2022 following the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, much to the chagrin of Steelers fans everywhere. Back in February, outgoing GM Kevin Colbert gave his vote of confidence for Rudolph.
"If we started a season today, Mason would be our starter, and we're excited to see where that can go... Mason's 5-4-1 as an NFL starter, albeit in a backup kind of role, but we're excited to see what is next for Mason."
Then things got bad for Rudolph.
The Steelers signed former second overall pick Mitch Trubisky to a free agent contract.
Then things got worse for Rudolph.
The Steelers used their first round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft to select quarterback, Kenny Pickett.
Then things got even worse for Rudolph.
The Steelers selected Chris Oladokun, QB from South Dakota State in the 7th round of that same draft.
Where does that leave Rudolph?
On the bright side, Rudolph will be given an opportunity to compete for the starting job in 2022. According to Steelers head coach, Mike Tomlin, he expects a three-way competition between Trubisky, Pickett and Rudolph for the starting job. Here is what he told NFL Networks Rich Eisen.
"I expect it to be fierce because I know all three guys. I don't expect anyone to take a backseat…The challenge is from a structure standpoint. Are we providing enough of a platform for all the guys to show what they're capable of? And so that's going to be the challenge component of it. I'm excited about watching these guys compete, just like I am at any position where you've got some viable options. So, we will proceed with that understanding that it's going to be challenging from an organization standpoint, but it's a good challenge and I'm excited about watching those guys perform.”
The downside, for Rudolph, is he is entering camp as the likely odd man out. The Steelers signed Trubisky to a two-year $14 million dollar contract and used a first round pick on Pickett. I don’t know if they have a clear preference as to who would start, but they are probably hoping that one of their investments will emerge set to take on the starting role and the other opening as his backup. That will leave Rudolph to duel it out with Oladokun for a spot on the practice squad. Rudolph gets a lot of flack in the Steel City for not being all that great of a quarterback, but I will say this for him, he is better than the practice squad, and far too pricey for it with a $3 million dollar price tag.
The Steelers Have Options with Mason Rudolph
The Steelers could look to trade Rudolph later in the off-season to a quarterback-needy team which may help them fill out some depth at a position of need. Or, the Steelers could try to acquire a late round pick in next year's draft for him. It’s also possible that the Steelers cut him outright. This would save Pittsburgh $3 million against the cap. $3 million is high for an emergency quarterback sitting third on the depth chart. However, there is something to be said about having a quarterback with experience as a starter at the ready, especially in the times of COVID-19, where backup and even emergency backups have seen an increase in value.
Sooner or later, the front office will have to make the call on Rudolph and if his price tag is worth keeping him on the depth chart, or if that $3 million could be better used elsewhere.
What do yinz think? Would you like to see the Steelers keep Mason Rudolph or let him go? Click below to comment!
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