Mike Tomlin put any brewing QB controversy to bed on Tuesday, confirming Mason Rudolph will be the team’s starter once he exists concussion protocol.
“That guy is our quarterback when he clears the protocol,” Tomlin said via ESPN’s Brooke Pryor. “It’s as simple as that. Appreciate the efforts of Duck [Devlin Hodges], but as soon as he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.”
Rudolph remains in concussion protocol but has continued to practice with the scout team and is expected to be ready when the team takes on the Miami Dolphins following their bye week.
While Devlin Hodges played well enough in his first NFL start, there was never any chance of him taking Rudolph’s job. Rudolph had played well each week and put his team in position to win in every game he’s appeared in. He was drafted as the heir to Ben Roethlisberger’s throne and while no one knows if he’ll pan out that way, there was zero chance the Steelers were going to pull the plug this soon.
For the year, Rudolph is completing 67% of his passes and thrown seven touchdowns to just a pair of interceptions, one of which wasn’t his fault when Donte Moncrief let a pass through his hands.
While Roethlisberger will obviously reclaim the starting role in 2020, Rudolph is the Steelers’ guy for the rest of 2019. Any other choice would’ve been a mistake and it was smart for Tomlin to be announce in the clearest of terms who their quarterback is.
