Steelers 3rd String QB Mason Rudolph Blows Offense's Strong 3-1 Lead In 7 Shots

The Pittsburgh Steelers entered the fourth day of their 2023 training camp with a bit of a different look, as several veterans had the day off. Minkah Fitzpatrick took time away for personal reasons, but Cameron Heyward and TJ Watt were not present. The spots left by the veterans gave the newer and younger players their chance to make their mark. There is no better drill at a Steelers' training camp to show what you bring to the table other than the fan-favorite 7 Shots drill. The third day saw the defense emerge victorious, so the offense looked to day four to get the win.

Pickett Shows Why He Is The Steelers' Starter

It's all about seeing how much Kenny Pickett, the Steelers' second-year starting quarterback, has grown. Whether it's his pocket presence or the ease in which he goes through progressions, it's pretty clear that Pickett has elevated his game in year two. The young quarterback was effective during the third day's 7 Shots drill, but a crucial part of Pickett's game is always wanting to improve. That is precisely what happened on Sunday.

The 7 Shots drill opened with the defense on top again. Cornerback, Levi Wallace broke up Pickett's attempt to tight end, Pat Freiermuth, putting the defense up. Diontae Johnson got the best of the secondary on the second play, with Pickett tossing a beautiful fade to a wide-open Johnson. It was the kind of play that the fans hope to see often in 2023, but for now, it was enough to tie the drill up 1-1.

Pickett never let go of that momentum. On the third play, the young quarterback rolled out to his left and found tight end, Zach Gentry for another touchdown. The offense went up 2-1 over the defense, but the biggest win was the back-to-back, effective plays from Pickett. On his fourth and last play, Pickett made it look easy again, finding Freiermuth to put the offense up 3-1. The dynamic tight end wasn't going to let a second score get away from him and the connection between him and Pickett made everyone all the more eager for the season to begin.

Steelers Unimpressed With Rudolph's Showing

With the starting quarterback showing why he is "the guy", third-string quarterback, Mason Rudolph stepped in to take command of the offense. Unfortunately, the pressure from Pickett's impressive triple touchdown display may have thrown Rudolph off his game.

Rudolph saw receiver, Cody White and tried to fit a pass in, but safety, Kenny Robinson jumped the pass for a perfectly-timed interception. With five plays of the drill completed, the defense held the advantage 3-2. The error didn't do much to alleviate the concerns over Rudolph's accuracy, but there were still more chances for him to get his game back on track. The next pass to tight end, Connor Heyward looked for a moment like it would have a better result, but then linebacker, Tanner Muse managed to impact the ball, and it fell incomplete, tying the drill up at 3-3.

With one chance left for Rudolph to secure a win for the offense and a much-needed boost to his own self, it was all on the line. Rudolph put a zip on a pass and tried to find receiver, Gunner Olszewski, but the secondary had the better coverage, and Rudolph's pass fell incomplete again. The difference between the two quarterbacks couldn't have been more stark, not just in the results, but also in the energy on the field. Pickett was a leader and did what he set out to do, but Rudolph seemed to be straining a bit and never got fully comfortable.

It's concerning when a quarterback can't find a level of comfort during a practice drill, especially when the guy before you excelled. If nothing else, the reasons for Rudolph's third spot on the depth chart were proven right. Rudolph has had many chances in both preseason and real-game action to show that he should be more than he currently is, but like his passes, the chances consistently fell short. Rudolph isn't in competition to start any longer, but if he wants to hold onto that third-string spot, the rest of his training camp must be better than today was.

All this action and more is being covered by our very own B-Wall, live at training camp for all 7 Shot and all other Steelers information as it happens!

Do you expect any improvement from Mason Rudolph during the rest of training camp? 

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