Steelers' Tanner Morgan Gaining Ground On Mason Rudolph In A Battle For A Roster Spot

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a quarterback battle at training camp for the second season in a row. During the team's 2022 training camp, it was Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett each vying for the starting role. At training camp in 2023, the competition is between Mason Rudolph and undrafted rookie, Tanner Morgan. The two are fighting to get the team's third quarterback spot behind Pickett and Trubisky. 

After Rudolph had a rough start to 2023 training camp, many were wondering if Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff would give the undrafted rookie a chance to earn a spot on the roster. For the first week and a half or so of camp, Morgan was not seeing any reps during team periods. He was mostly just doing the individual drills with the quarterbacks. Morgan saw his first opportunity to lead the third-string offense during practice on Sunday. 

It's difficult not to read too far into this. The coaching staff gave Trubisky a partial day off last Sunday, so it is a possibility that they are doing the same for Rudolph the week after. Rudolph was on the field and took some snaps, but Morgan took most of the snaps with the third-team. 

Morgan had a few nice plays and throws during the team's 11-on-11 period. By no means does this mean he has locked up the job as the third quarterback on the roster, but he might have earned himself some more practice reps over the next couple of weeks and even some playing time at the end of a preseason game. 

The crowd was having fun seeing Morgan succeed and connect on big throws. Every pass he completed was followed by cheers. We should expect to see more of Morgan getting snaps with the third-string offense after he had an impressive day throwing the ball. As an undrafted free agent, it is still a long shot for Morgan to make the final 53-man roster. However, he is heading in the right direction by taking advantage of every opportunity he has been given. 

Who Will Win The Steelers Quarterback Battle? 

Most Steelers fans are likely giddy with excitement at the thought of Morgan beating out Rudolph for the third quarterback job, but it is extremely unlikely. Pickett, Trubisky and Rudolph have grown a strong bond over the past year and having a consistent and stable quarterback room is important to the organization, hence why Rudolph was re-signed and Trubisky given an extension during the 2023 offseason. 

Morgan will have to outplay Rudolph by a decent margin in order to boot him out of his spot as the team's third quarterback. Morgan is set to have a cap hit of less than a million dollars while Rudolph's will be $940,000, meaning there is not a large enough disparity between the two contracts to make cutting Rudolph for a financial gain a relevant factor for the Steelers. 

It is likely Rudolph's experience and familiarity with the Steelers'offense and the rest of organization will give him an edge over Morgan and lead to him securing his job. He has already worked with Trubisky and Pickett last season, and the organization made it a priority to keep the quarterback room from the 2022 season intact for 2023. Morgan will receive more opportunities during practice and hopefully during some preseason games, but it's unlikely he beats out Rudolph for a spot on the 53-man roster.

What do you think of Morgan's chances to make the Steelers' roster Steeler Nation? Let us know in the comments below!

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