Emilee Chinn/Getty Images Mason Rudolph of the Pittsburgh Steelers calls a play in the huddle against the Detroit Lions on November 14, 2021.
Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark didn’t mince words when asked about the future of the team at the quarterback position. Appearing on 93.7 FM The Fan (Pittsburgh) on February 16, the ESPN analyst said: “I don’t believe that Mason Rudolph is the quarterback, I don’t believe that Dwayne Haskins is the quarterback, so is there a free agent that you can get to compete?”
That’s the multi-million dollar question for a Steelers team that hasn’t been without a franchise QB since 2003, the year before Ben Roethlisberger was added with the No. 11 overall pick in 2004. Unfortunately for the Steelers, there doesn’t appear to be a Roethlisberger-level quarterback prospect in the 2022 Draft, and even if there were, Pittsburgh doesn’t select until No. 20 overall.
Hence the possibility that 2018 third-round pick Mason Rudolph (5-4-1 career record, 80.9 career passer rating) will be the team’s starter this season, unless former Washington first-rounder Dwayne Haskins overtakes him on the depth chart or the Steelers acquire someone better via trade, the draft or free agency.
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Ryan Clark Has Little Faith in Mason Rudolph
If Rudolph does become the starter, Clark says he doesn’t envy the likes of Steelers All-Pro defenders T.J. Watt and Cam Heyward.
“I would not want Mason Rudolph to be my quarterback,” he said. “I would not walk on the field confidently as a 2008 Pittsburgh Steelers defense that we could score the 13 points we needed every game to win with Mason Rudolph at quarterback.”
That’s a reference to the historically-great 2008 Steelers defense that allowed just 13.9 points per game—the kind of defense the Steelers don’t figure to enjoy anytime soon.
With that in mind, Clark believes the best course of action would be to look to free agency to acquire a quarterback who can allow the team to remain competitive until a franchise QB-type prospect can be acquired.
“Do you get a middle of the road, middle-aged quarterback that is good enough—that can be at least as good as Ben was last year—and say, ‘We tide ourselves over until one of these rookies can play.’ That’s the first thing you have to do,” says Clark, without naming possible options like former No. 1 overall pick Jameis Winston or former No. 2 overall pick Carson Wentz, assuming the latter is released by the Indianapolis Colts.
In the meantime, Clark suggests focusing on building “up front,” calling for the addition of an “elite pedigree” prospect on the offensive line, a la former first-round picks Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Hall of Famer Alan Faneca.
“Game-changers at the quarterback position do not become available, so I think it’s pretty hard,” added Clark. “I don’t know if you do something stupid like trade for Mitch Trubisky so you can get some of that No. 2 overall draft pick talent. It’s such a difficult task in doing this,” he admits.
But “if they don’t figure out the situation at quarterback, it’s not going to matter, (the Steelers) are going to stink.”
T.J. Watt: ‘I Trust the Guys Upstairs’
For his part, Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt doesn’t think it’s going to come to that. Speaking to the media after he won 2021 Defensive Player of the Year honors, he said: “We’ll see what happens at the quarterback position. I trust the guys upstairs to be able to bring in a guy that can win us some games, and I’m gonna do everything in my power to take care of things on the defensive side of the ball.”
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