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The Pittsburgh Steelers are entering a new era in 2022 now that the legendary Ben Roethlisberger has retired. For years and years, the team failed to get a proper succession plan in place. Well, that is unless you consider Mason Rudolph as part of that plan.
Rudolph was a third-round draft pick in 2018 and has 10 starts to his name since then. If he had been lighting it up in practice and in games, even with limited action, he would have been a sure thing at starter in 2022. However, that is certainly not the case as Rudolph has not performed consistently for the team when called upon.
In fact, due to the Steelers' uncertainty about Rudolph, they have openly said they will find competition for him as well as Dwayne Haskins this season. That alone points towards the fact that Rudolph will probably not be the Week 1 starter next season.
The Steelers cannot start Mason Rudolph and be confident to win in 2022
Rudolph had a serious chance to prove himself this past season in Week nine, as Roethlisberger was out. This saw the the fourth-year quarterback get the start against the lowly Detroit Lions in a game that should have resulted in an easy win for the Steelers.
He ended up going 30/50 as he threw for 242 yards with one touchdown and an interception in a 16-16 draw. In Rudolph's limited defense, it did rain for the entire game, which made throwing the football marginely more difficult. Nevertheless, the 26-year-old did nothing to cement his status as the future leader of the franchise during that outing.
Rudolph being the Week 1 starter would mean the team whiffed on all their other potential options under center. These could include Russell Wilson, Deshaun Watson, Jimmy Garoppolo, and even Kenny Pickett in the draft, to name a few top choices.
At this rate, it is hard to imagine Rudolph making a huge step up in training camp this offseason alone. He is entering his fifth NFL season and the Steelers already brought in Haskins last year. Even when Rudolph got a chance to start in 2019, he ended up splitting time with former third-string quarterback Devlin Hodges.
Fans must also remember that this is the time of year when teams aren't going to throw their own players under the bus. So GM Kevin Colbert backing Rudolph publicly should not be a surprise. He is also slated to be on his way out after the NFL Draft, so his opinion may not matter much anyway.
The general problem with Rudolph is his lack of upside, as he has ultimately shown himself to be average in his 10 starts. While that isn't a huge sample size, the Steelers have also made it clear they prefer a mobile quarterback. Rudolph can move, but certainly isn't going to win games with his legs.
As it stands, it is safe to assume that the Steelers will not be going with Rudolph as their starter in 2022. Given that the team's culture is primarily built upon winning, it shouldn't be hard for the Steelers' front office to lure a legitimate signal-caller to Pittsburgh.
