The Pittsburgh Steelers turned to Mason Rudolph with the 2023 season on the brink, and he delivered a big-time performance against the Cincinnati Bengals to help propel the team to a 34-11 win. The veteran quarterback got his first shot to start since Ben Roethlisberger retired after three poor performances by Mitch Trubisky led to Head Coach Mike Tomlin to make a change for Week 16. After Rudolph threw for 290 yards, a pair of touchdowns to George Pickens, and no interceptions, it's fair to ask why he wasn't given a shot to start earlier.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph makes a throw during organized team activities in the spring of 2022.
Esteemed Steelers beat writer for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7's The Fan Morning Show on Wednesday and gave some insight into why it has taken this long for Rudolph to get another chance. The 2018 third-round pick hadn't started a game since Week 10 of the 2021 season when he was thrust into the starting lineup for a home game against the Detroit Lions due to Roethlisberger being placed on the then-Reserve/COVID-19 list.
"The reason that Mason Rudolph hasn't been given a chance here since Ben left is because he's the least mobile of any of these quarterbacks that they've brought in," Fittipaldo explained. "We heard for months and months in the late stages of Ben's career that the next quarterback had to have mobility."
There's a difference between being mobile and being a running quarterback. When Trubisky was signed in March of 2022, his mobility was touted as an asset that would help him succeed as the Steelers starting quarterback. He has made some plays with his legs and has two rushing touchdowns in both seasons in Pittsburgh. The problem has been his propensity for turnovers that have set the team back.
Like Trubisky, Pickett's mobility was seen as a big plus when the Steelers selected him in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He has also shown his ability to make plays with his legs. He, at times, has been too quick to bail from clean pockets, but hasn't had the same predisposition for giving the ball away as Trubisky.
Gene J. Puskar / AP Photo
Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph tries to fend off Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Logan Wilson as he runs for a first down during their Week 16 matchup in 2023.
Rudolph is much more of a traditional pocket passer, which didn't lend itself well to the system that former Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada wanted to run. He's not a complete statue, however. In the 2021 season, he had five rushing attempts for 56 yards. Against the Bengals in Week 16 of 2023, he didn't scramble much, but had a key run that helped the team extend their early lead to 21-0. After Eric Rowe secured an interception and returned it 25 yards into Cincinnati territory, the offense was set up with a short field. On third down, after surveying the field, Rudolph took off and leaped through the air to secure the first down. Najee Harris ran the ball into the end zone on the next play.
Steelers And The League Might Be Shifting Away From Needing Mobile Quarterbacks
Having mobility can be an important part of playing quarterback, but it is not a be-all-end-all. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady are two of the best quarterbacks of all time, and they had very limited mobility. Roethlisberger, in his career, had great mobility, but near the end of his tenure in Pittsburgh, he was still able to churn out some fairly effective seasons when his legs were less effective.
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Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (#2) makes a throw during the 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Fittipaldo said he wonders if, after a few years where mobile quarterbacks like Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes, and Kyler Murray have been popular players, there's more of a shift back to more traditional pocket quarterbacks. Looking around the AFC North, Fittipaldo has seen some not-so-mobile guys have some success.
"You look at what Mason Rudolph did and I know it's a one-game sample," Fittipaldo expressed. "Look at Joe Flacco and what he's doing. Jake Browning before his last game. He's not a mobile quarterback who is going to run around and make plays. The NFL this season is about two deep safeties and not giving up big plays. I just wonder if it's turned around and quarterback mobility is not as important as it was two years ago."
The ability of your quarterback to make plays with his legs can certainly be an asset, but if they can make plays through the air, sometimes it's not needed. Rudolph is in line to get another chance in Week 17 to prove to Pittsburgh and the league that he can make plays with or without the use of his legs, barring a change in Pickett's health status.
Do you agree with Fittipaldo that quarterback mobility might not be as significant as it was two years ago? Can a quarterback in 2023 survive with limited mobility? Comment below!
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