It’s often said that the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” league. But perhaps at least as it pertains to fans and the sports talk media, it’s a little more than that. Because what you’ve done lately often gets extrapolated to what you can do for me in the future.
Yet another prime case in point is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Mason Rudolph and his quality start at quarterback last week. He certainly deserves credit for having one good game, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to have another. That doesn’t stop everybody from pondering who will start the season finale, however, even before the next game is played, working out all the scenarios. Including Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, who had very fixed ideas on the subject.
Asked if the Steelers would turn back to a healthy Kenny Pickett in the finale if Rudolph plays well and leads them to another victory this week, or continues with the proverbial hot hand, Dulac said in his latest chat, “They will stick with Rudolph. Mike Tomlin would be stupid not to”.
Well, that’s a big of a strong take. And frankly a debatable one. Can it ever be stupid to turn back to their starting quarterback when you think he is your franchise piece? Dulac remains convinced that is how they expect to operate through 2024, anyway, so if they’re willing to reserve that status for Pickett for the next year, how stupid could it be to start him in 2023 if he’s healthy?
“There is no reason to come back to Pickett after the way Rudolph played”, he said to another reader. “And what has Pickett done all year to think he deserves to play. If this was September or October, Pickett would go back in as the starter. Not now. These are must-win games and you stick with the hot hand”.
It’s still hard for me to reconcile the idea of riding the “hot hand” of your third-string quarterback while maintaining the belief that someone else on the roster is your starter. And that’s what he said the Steelers feel about Pickett, whether his feelings get hurt or not.
“I’m sure he might be disappointed he’s not going to play, but oh well”, Dulac said when asked about the possibility of Pickett feeling slighted about not starting even though he said he felt ready to play. “But I also think he knows he is their QB in 2024, no matter what Rudolph does. Unless he wins the Super Bowl”.
So, unless Rudolph does so well that he up and wins the Super Bowl, Pickett is going to be the starter next year anyway? And yet it would be stupid to think that it might be a good idea to play Pickett in the finale if he’s healthy?
To my mind, if you’re not willing to play Pickett over Rudolph in the finale even assuming Rudolph plays well in another winning effort, then you’re already starting the process of looking for a new quarterback. And let’s face it, quarterback is not a “hot hand” position like running back. You have a guy at quarterback or you don’t.
Yet Dulac said multiple times that it “Would be stupid” not to play Rudolph if he plays well for a second straight game. And how long do you keep playing him? In the opening round of the playoffs? All the way through the Super Bowl, all the while, unless he actually wins the Super Bowl, knowing that Pickett is your starter?
It will be interesting to see if this conversation is even relevant by the end of tomorrow. Because Rudolph has to play well for it to matter.
