When QB Mason Rudolph opted to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason, many were surprised to say the least. For Rudolph, who was once considered to be the potential heir to Ben Roethlisberger, to get demoted to third-string QB this past summer behind Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett, the expectation was that the 2018 third-round draft pick would run out of town the second the season was over and look for a better opportunity elsewhere.
Apparently, that opportunity never came as Rudolph came back to resume his role of being the team’s third-string QB again in 2023. For the Steelers, signing of Rudolph to a veteran minimum deal to be their third QB on the depth chart represents a big win. Mike Tanier of Underdog Network recently ranked his NFL third-string QBs for every team and had Rudolph #2 in the league, just behind Sam Darnold of the San Francisco 49ers.
“Rudolph led the Steelers to a 5-3 record in 2019,” Tanier said. “Rudolph is entering his sixth year with the Steelers and has never totally embarrassed himself in the preseason or relief stints – except when he decided to sling slurs at one of the NFL’s toughest defenders.”
While Rudolph may not be the potential franchise QB former GM Kevin Colbert thought he was coming out of Oklahoma State, he isn’t a slouch as a backup/spot starting option. In his second NFL season back in 2019 after Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season due to an elbow injury, Rudolph represented himself well in his first extended NFL action, throwing for 1,765 yards with a 62% completion percentage along with 13 TDs and nine INTs in 10 games (eight starts). He started two games after that with one appearance in 2020 and 2021, respectively, losing to the Browns in the final week of the 2020 season while tying the Lions in 2021.
It hasn’t always been pretty, but as far as backup QBs go, you could do a lot worse than Rudolph as your backup, let alone your third string QB. Comparing his first exposure as a starter in the league to Pickett last season, perhaps we aren’t giving enough credit for what he did being thrown into the fire into his second year. He isn’t an ideal choice to lead a franchise, but he has always had the right demeanor when it comes to his role on the team and was arguably the best QB in training camp last season.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers may not have a Patrick Mahomes or a Josh Allen at QB, they arguably have the deepest QB room in the league with Pickett, Trubisky, and Rudolph. The 49ers may be able to give them a run for their money, but the fan base should feel good about the depth and experience they have at QB going into 2023.
