The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a unique and somewhat awkward quarterback situation as they head into their Week 18 regular season finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Back-to-back victories led by Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback have rekindled the Steelers' playoff hopes, albeit slightly. Head Coach Mike Tomlin has been open about his decision to stick with Rudolph for the third consecutive week, despite Kenny Pickett being healthy and available.
Associated Press
Steelers quarterbacks Kenny Pickett (8) and Mason Rudolph (2) at practice.
During his press conference on Monday, Tomlin was asked about Pickett's reaction to being benched in favor of Rudolph. Tomlin described Pickett as a competitor who desires to be on the field, but also emphasized his team-first mentality. According to Tomlin, the primary goal is to win football games, and he believes that mindset extends to everyone in the organization, including Pickett.
“Man, he is a competitor. He wants the football, he wants to play, but at the same time, he’s a team player and so um, our agenda is winning football games right now. I imagine that’s everybody's mindset.”
In Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks, Pickett made it clear that he was ready to play and appeared visibly frustrated with the decision to start Rudolph. Tomlin, however, provided an awkward perspective, suggesting that Pickett is happy for the team's success during Rudolph's short tenure as the starter.
NBC
Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (right) watches Mason Rudolph (left) against the Bengals.
With the quarterback controversy brewing, the media inquired whether Pickett would dress as a backup for Rudolph in the upcoming Ravens game. Tomlin indicated that Pickett's availability is less in question this week, hinting at the possibility of Pickett being active. However, when asked why Pickett didn't dress for the previous game, Tomlin admitted it was his decision.
“That clarity didn’t come until later in the week and it was about the distribution of reps and who was best prepared and positioned to help us win, so that’s the direction we went with.”
According to Tomlin, the clarity on Pickett's status for Week 17 didn't emerge until later in the week, and the decision was based on the distribution of reps and who was best prepared to help the team secure a victory. When a reporter questioned why Pickett wasn't at least designated as the emergency quarterback, Tomlin replied that the likelihood of needing Pickett was low, and he didn't want the members of the media to speculate.
“The likelihood coupled with the risk in terms of what I didn’t see for him would have been speculating and I’m not into speculating.”
Despite the recent success of Rudolph and his contribution to two consecutive wins over the Ravens, Tomlin expressed confidence in Pickett's ability to lead the team to victory. He pointed out that Pickett had previously led the Steelers to late-game victories against the Ravens, showcasing his potential as a starting quarterback.
“I know Kenny is very capable and particularly as it pertains to this matchup. Kenny has led us to victory late in the game the last two times that we played Baltimore and so we feel like we have two capable guys. We will proceed into the week the same way we did last week, but just knowing that his ability to play is less in question.”
Tomlin emphasized that the team sees Pickett as a capable quarterback and indicated that his ability to play is less in question, hinting at the possibility of seeing Pickett in action again. If the Steelers do somehow find their way into the postseason, the quarterback situation will only intensify further. If they don't, the season will end with the ball in the hands of Rudolph.
Steelers Delicate QB Situation
The Steelers' quarterback situation is undoubtedly a delicate one, especially concerning Pickett. As a first-round draft pick in 2022, the team had high hopes that he could be their franchise quarterback. However, the offense faced its fair share of challenges under Pickett, while Rudolph has led a resurgence. Pickett is certainly not the lone person of blame for the offenses lackluster performances. In fact, he was a key reason they were winning games and he seemed to excel after Matt Canada was fired. It's just unfortunate that Pickett got hurt when he did because he seemed to have turned a corner post-Canada.
Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press
Pittsburgh Steelers former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada (left) and Kenny Pickett (right).
For now, the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mantra appears to be guiding the Steelers' decision-making. The team is enjoying success with Rudolph at the helm, and Tomlin and the organization are cautious about making changes while the offense is performing at a level that Steeler Nation hasn't seen since Ben Roethlisberger retired.
The Steelers' quarterback dilemma is likely to be a topic of discussion throughout the offseason as they assess their options and the long-term future of the position.
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