Dulac: Steelers Should Have "No Question" About Bringing Back Underused Mason Rudolph For 2024

The Pittsburgh Steelers were not happy with the lack of scoring by the offense this season. After a pair of dud performances by Mitch Trubisky against the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts, Head Coach Mike Tomlin had seen enough of him and decided to move to Mason Rudolph. The 28-year-old veteran had seen the field sparingly since an injury to Ben Roethlisberger in 2019 thrust him into the starter's job for eight games. Rudolph has reeled off a pair of wins over the Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks, throwing for 564 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. The at-one-time-forgotten third-stringer has likely saved any talk about moving into another field like commercial real estate with his play over the last two weeks.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette fielded questions from readers on Wednesday morning as part of his weekly chat, and plenty of them were interested in the future of the organization's quarterback position.  

"There's no question the Steelers will try to re-sign Rudolph after the season," Dulac wrote to one questioner. "I'm guessing they will simply give him Trubisky's contract, which is about $11.5 million over two years."

He outlined that he thinks the number one factor in whether Rudolph chooses to come back to the Steelers will be money. He laid out that the Steelers could save $11.5 million by releasing Trubisky and simply relocate it to Rudolph to take over as the primary backup. The quarterback room in 2024 is likely to be Kenny Pickett, Rudolph, and a cheaper third-string option from the draft or free agency. 

Trubisky was brought in during the 2022 offseason before the organization drafted Pickett in the first round of that year's NFL Draft. He lost his job to the University of Pittsburgh product at halftime of the team's Week 4 loss to the New York Jets. He has relieved Pickett due to injury since, but has a 2-5 record as a starter in Pittsburgh, with his only wins coming in his first game in Week 1 of 2022 against the Bengals and a Week 15 win over the Carolina Panthers. His mobility, which was a knock on Rudolph, likely factored into why Pittsburgh brought him in, but his decision-making and propensity for turnovers likely have him on the street looking for a fourth team to give him a shot. 

Steelers Likely Still Moving Forward With Pickett As Starter For 2024  

Dulac stated or confirmed a few times in the chat that the organization will move forward with Pickett as the starting quarterback in 2024. He's still the first-round pick and on a rookie contract. Due to all the injuries and the sad state of the offense under-fired Offensive Coordinator Matt Canada, it's fair to still want to see more from him in a starting capacity before moving on. 

Despite Rudolph's success in keeping the Steelers in the playoff hunt, Dulac wrote that Pickett's name is likely down in pen as the starting quarterback role for 2024. He gave a simple one-word "no" to one questioner asking if the Pickett era in Pittsburgh would be over after two seasons. 

"Unless he [Rudolph] takes them to the Super Bowl, however, I don't think there will be an open competition for the starting job at training camp," he wrote. "And even then, I don't think there will be. Kenny Pickett will be their QB in 2024."  

The Steelers have one thing on their mind right now, and that's beating the Baltimore Ravens to try to even have a chance to make the playoffs. Rudolph will lead the troops in the team's regular season finale and if they make the postseason, Tomlin will have a significant call to make. 

Do you think Rudolph should be back in 2024? Do you agree that the Steelers will give Pickett another chance in 2024? Comment below!

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