Now that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2023 season is getting underway after the team finished above .500 but failing to make the postseason last year, we turn our attention to the next chapter of Steelers football and everything that entails. One thing that it means is that some stock evaluations are going to start taking on more specific contexts as we get into the season, reflecting more immediate plusses and minus rather than trends over long periods. The nature of the evaluation, whether short-term or long-term, will be noted in the reasoning section below.
Player: QB Mason Rudolph
Stock Value: Up
Reasoning: The sixth-year quarterback finally had his day in the sun. Starting against the Cincinnati Bengals yesterday, he led the Steelers to a commanding victory, 34-11, completing 17 of 27 pass attempts for 290 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.
What’s next for Mason Rudolph? I don’t think this is a question that had been pondered very much recently. After all, he had been the third-string quarterback on a team that hadn’t needed him for the past two years up until now.
After helping to author the best-quarterbacked game the Steelers have had in the past couple years, however, it doesn’t sound so farfetched to entertain the notion. And we start with the possibility of him continuing to start next week.
One thing is clear, and that is the fact that he will continue to stay ahead of Mitch Trubisky. But what’s less certain is the status of Kenny Pickett as he returns from an ankle injury. Will the Steelers reinsert their starter as early as possible? Or will they be more cautious and more willing to give him an extra week given the way that Rudolph played?
The sixth-year veteran went 17-for-27 passing yesterday against the Cincinnati Bengals, successful on multiple keep pass connections to WR George Pickens. He threw for 290 yards in total, of which 195 went to Pickens, and two touchdowns—again, to the same connection.
The biggest difference between him and Trubisky is that he risked the ball less when he took his shots down the field. It helps that he generally threw better balls, but it was more than that. He also made better decisions with where and when he was throwing and to whom.
This is Mason Rudolph’s day. He deserved to have that opportunity, and it’s fair to say that he made the most of it, helping the Steelers to 34 points. Let’s just say that it’s been a while since the Steelers last scored four offensive touchdowns in a single game. Sure, they got some help with three interceptions, but they also managed to turn them into 17 points. They hadn’t even been managing that earlier in the year.
