Kimes: Steelers Fans Should Be Encouraged; Mike Tomlin Standing By Mason Rudolph Is Actually Unusual

Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin made a bold decision during the team's embarrassing loss to the Indianapolis Colts in Week 15 when he benched Mitch Trubisky in favor of Mason Rudolph. Trubisky was on his third game in a row since Kenny Pickett went down just before halftime with a high ankle sprain in the loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 13. 

Initially, fans weren't too worried. While the former first-round draft pick has not had much success in Pittsburgh, most assumed that Trubisky could manage the offense well enough for the team to win against three very beatable teams (Cardinals, Colts, and the New England Patriots). But that wasn't the case. One humiliating loss after another occurred and you could feel the season slipping away. 

Steelers Sticking By Rudolph Has A Deeper Meaning

Rudolph shocked the world by winning the final three games of the season against much tougher teams and helping Pittsburgh make it to the playoffs. Coach Tomlin even decided to keep Rudolph under center for the playoff game, despite Pickett being healthy again. A remarkable turn of events from someone who had said a few weeks prior that he wasn't even sure if he would be playing professional football in 2024.   

NFL analyst, Mina Kimes of ESPN recently spoke about Pittsburgh's future, the hiring of new Offensive Coordinator, Arthur Smith, and Tomlin's decision to stand by Rudolph in the playoffs. The Steelers are well known for "standing by their man."

"I would actually be encouraged as a Steelers fan that they stuck with Rudolph. Even though obviously it didn't translate into playoff success, it signaled to me that this franchise recognized that just because Kenny Pickett was a first-round draft pick, doesn't mean he is guaranteed that spot as a starter and hopefully that willingness to consider a competition at the position continues," said Kimes on NFL on ESPN.

It does feel like the Steelers will have some sort of quarterback competition on their hands as they prepare for the 2024 season. The question is, who will be competing against Pickett? Tomlin said they would like Rudolph to stay in Pittsburgh. But the real question there will be about money and exactly what Rudolph is hoping for next season. 

Since Rudolph was drafted in the third-round in 2018, he has been a backup. He was meant to be the heir apparent of Ben Roethlisberger and frequently played when the future Hall of Famer was injured. But his play was never exceptionally high and he was even benched at one point for Devlin "Duck" Hodges. But Rudolph has always had his fans, those who think that he was never given a fair shot. That has led to some believing that how Rudolph was treated in Pittsburgh will mean that the team will have to pay him more.  

That leads to the question of, what took him so long? If Rudolph had this all along, why didn't we see it before? Did he just need time to develop? Possibly, but most analysts think that Rudolph had chances and chronically underperformed. They do not see him as a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. However, how do you look at what he did those last three games in the 2023 season and push him down the depth chart to allow Pickett to go back under center?

There is no denying that Rudolph had the offense humming. That isn't to say that there isn't still work to be done, however. Rudolph helped the Steelers score 30 or more points in a game for the first time in a year, something Pickett hadn't been able to do this season. When they beat the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17, it marked the first time the team had back-to-back 30+ points since Weeks 5 and 6 of the 2020 season.  

Many make the argument that Pickett was a first-round draft pick and the team is not going to "waste" that pick by having him ride the bench behind a veteran with questionable skills. But there are some real excuses out there that actually support bringing Pickett back as the starter and the chief argument is that we haven't been able to fully assess what he can do without Matt Canada. 

Pickett only started one game without Canada as coordinator. Canada was let go by the organization after the crushing loss to the Cleveland Browns during Week 11. The one thing almost everyone agrees on is that Tomlin kept Canada far too long and that potentially stunted Pickett's development. The hope is that Smith will be able to get his growth back on track. 

The good part, as Kimes said, is that Tomlin kept Rudolph in for the playoff game against the Buffalo Bills. Pickett was healthy and many thought he would return to his starter spot, but he didn't. This shows that Tomlin has a willingness to allow a competition to play out to find the best player for the position.

What do you think about Kimes' comment? Should Rudolph stay with the Steelers or should they bring in outside competition? Click to comment below.

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