Mason Rudolph is entering his fourth season as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was pressed into action as a rookie and to many Steelers fans, he committed the mortal sin of not being the next great quarterback in Pittsburgh. Rudolph was nearly knocked unconscious against the Baltimore Ravens in one of the most vicious hits in the last five years, went 5-4-1 in 10 career starts and proved he was a competent backup quarterback.
Steelers outside linebacker Delontae Scott (No. 50) rushes quarterback Mason Rudolph during a practice last week at Saint Vincent College. Scott, who joined the Steelers 11 months ago and spent most of last season on the practice squad, has gained some attention in training camp. Credit: Chaz Palla/ Tribune-Review
It is hard to fathom any scenario in that fans would be excited that Rudolph had won the quarterback competition. In all fairness to the Steelers veteran, he is insurance for 2022 and the team can afford to pay him the $3 million left on his contract. Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett top the depth chart but with the current state of the offensive line, keeping Rudolph just makes good business sense.
The Steelers are rumored to be open for business if teams are inquiring on the former Oklahoma state product. However, the reality is that quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield had to take a pay cut to get traded. Jimmy Garoppolo, who has played in a Super Bowl and two NFC championship games, is likely to be cut rather than traded at this point. Teams are not finding willing trade partners for starters, so expecting Rudolph to fetch any price may be at best myopic.
Tom Pelissero, the NFL Network Insider and Sirius XM host, reported on Monday that teams are interested in Rudolph's services and are making calls to the Steelers.
The #Steelers have received trade calls on QB Mason Rudolph, but to this point they’ve been reluctant to deal him, per sources. Rudolph is on the books for just $3 million this season and Pittsburgh isn’t giving him away, even if he's 3rd behind Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) August 29, 2022
It was reported by several sources last week that the Detroit Lions were interested in Rudolph. Based on the performance by Tim Boyle and David Blough on Sunday, it is conceivable that interest not only remains but may have gotten stronger. The current third-string quarterback in Pittsburgh entered the game against Detroit late. He was tasked with protecting a lead in a more conservative offense that didn’t give him great opportunities to dazzle the Detroit coaching staff. Rudolph's first two games this preseason were impressive and certainly present the opportunity for an upgrade at QB2 for the Lions.
Omar Khan is introduced as the Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager at a press conference at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, Friday, May 27, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA. (Karl Roser/Pittsburgh Steelers)
Rudolph has the value-added advantage of being a good teammate and experience as the second-string quarterback. He wants the opportunity to play but he does understand his role and is not a distraction. He is in a different situation compared to Mayfield and Garoppolo because he is not a displaced starter, which gives the Steelers leverage. Omar Khan joined Bryant McFadden on his All Things Covered podcast on Monday and when asked about his trio of signal callers shared his opinion with the former Steelers cornerback.
“I don’t anticipate it being any different. We feel very good about the quarterbacks,” Khan said. “Coach will decide how things shake out. But we feel good about the guys on our roster.”
Credit: Matt Freed/Pittsburgh Post Gazette
Creating demand is a great way to get someone to overpay you for a commodity. The Steelers apparent desire to hold on to Rudolph may cause teams to look long and hard based on the current options available at quarterback. He is not going to be the savior of a franchise, but he is going to provide quality snaps for an NFL team if called upon.
.@AKinkhabwala says on @937theFan she thinks it will take a 4th round pick or better for the Steelers to trade Mason Rudolph.
— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) August 29, 2022
There is no denying that he is tough, and he has faced a lot of adversity in his young career. Rudolph has the physical tools to have a long NFL career as a number two quarterback and that is one of the best jobs in football. Teams will happily pay him a moderate salary for years to come and if lightning strikes, he could potentially have a great 3 to 5 game run for a franchise. This year his contract is with the Steelers and the organization is happy to hold onto him for 2022. Omar Khan's advertising that they are not willing to give him away just might net them the next pot of gold.
What do you think Steeler Nation? Do you think the Steelers should keep Rudolph in 2022 and then wish him well in free agency? Comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.
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