Getty The Steelers might not trade QB Mason Rudolph at all.
According to one Pittsburgh Steelers analyst, a much-criticized quarterback isn’t going anywhere.
Mason Rudolph is the Steelers’ longest-tenured quarterback currently on the roster. The 27-year-old is on the verge of entering his fifth season with the club. By comparison, free agent signee Mitch Trubisky and first-round draft pick Kenny Pickett are entering their first seasons with the Steelers.
However, don’t expect the veteran quarterback to be involved in a trade, according to Bob Pompeani of KDKA on Tuesday, August 9. As noted by Andrew Filliponi of 93.7 The Fan, Pompeani does not expect the Steelers to trade their much-criticized quarterback.
“Steelers preseason voice KDPomp on 937theFan on what he expects at quarterback: ‘I don’t believe they’re gonna trade Mason Rudolph.'”
Rudolph Impresses in Steelers’ First Preseason Game
The comments were made prior to the Steelers’ first preseason game versus the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday, August 13. Upon entering the game versus the Seahawks at the end of the first quarter, Rudolph was greeted to a chorus of boos from the home crowd in Pittsburgh.
While his first play began with a fumble sack, his third play resulted in a 26-yard touchdown pass to rookie wide receiver George Pickens.
.@Rudolph2Mason ➡️ PICKHIMS
📺 #SEAvsPIT on @KDKA | NFL+: t.co/C6T9f39EAk
Rudolph played until the end of the first half, finishing with a productive 9-of-15 showing for 93 yards, one touchdown and a 100.1 quarterback rating. In comparison, Trubisky posted a 4-for-7 showing for 63 yards with one touchdown and a 126.8 quarterback rating in two offensive drives.
Meanwhile, Pickett impressed while playing during the entire second half, going 13-of-15 for 95 yards and two touchdowns with a 132.6 quarterback rating.
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Why the Steelers Will Likely Retain Rudolph
Although Trubisky is considered the starter and Pickett is considered the eventual franchise quarterback for the Steelers, Rudolph is currently positioned as the No. 2 quarterback on the depth chart.
While Steelers fans may be eager to see Rudolph traded for draft assets, he has the most experience playing in Pittsburgh’s system. Rudolph has appeared in 17 games — starting 10 of them — and has a respectable 5-4-1 career record. During his first season starting, Rudolph posted a 5-3 record, with 13 touchdowns versus nine interceptions.
However, Rudolph’s career has seen some lowlights. He was once benched before the end of the 2019 season for undrafted free agent quarterback Devlin Hodges and was publicly slighted by head coach Mike Tomlin.
When asked on why he benched Rudolph for Hodges prior to their Week 13 game back in 2019, Tomlin simply responded that the latter had “not killed” the Steelers in their games.
That benching — combined with the idea that he never had a good relationship with Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger — could contribute to the reason why Pittsburgh fans have never been too keen on the former third-round draft pick.
The Steelers still have two more preseason games to play, so there’s a lot to be decided when it comes to how the quarterback situation will play out. However, considering Pittsburgh faces a lot of uncertainty at quarterback in their first season without Roethlisberger since 2003, the Steelers are likely to keep their veteran holdover for at least one more season.