For as unpleasurable as it may have looked often this season, it still feels as though there’s a rather realistic possibility that the Steelers will retain the majority of this year’s quarterback room. The big question is who.
Kenny Pickett goes without saying. He is on a fully guaranteed rookie contract, so it’s really not a matter of debate. It would be cheaper to keep him than it would be to cut him, anyway. But increasingly, more people are buying that the other quarterback who will return is not the one who is actually under contract.
That would be Mitch Trubisky, who signed an extension this offseason to remain with the club beyond 2023. Mason Rudolph, their own former draft pick, was allowed to test free agency and only returned after rookie minicamp after fielding no significant interest, signing a one-year qualifying contract. The way things are going, though, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sees him as the more realistic backup option, with Trubisky a cap casualty.
“When you look at the finances of it all, and what Rudolph did vs. the Bengals, there is a very good chance of that happening”, he said. “Mitch Trubisky is scheduled to earn $5.25 million in salary and roster bonus in 2024 and $6 million in salary and roster bonus in 2025. That will be more than they want to pay a No. 3 QB if they decide to keep Rudolph as their No. 2 QB. But that’s the ‘if’ that will have to be determined”.
Of course, it’s possible that neither of them are back. For one thing, Rudolph will be a free agent, making him free to go wherever he wants. The problem last year was that there was nobody who wanted him. Now, with actual quality tape, he has a much better shot of landing an opportunity elsewhere. But what if he could now get that same opportunity in Pittsburgh?
“If the Steelers make him an attractive offer to be their No. 2 QB, I’m sure he will stay”, Dulac said, though, of course, offering only his informed opinion. “But only if he is the No. 2. Otherwise, he’ll go where he can be the No. 2 on a team if he gets that chance”.
Given that just seven months ago, nobody was even interested in him at all, I’m not so sure there will be too many teams eager to throw backup money at him. Especially not in a year in which a number of backup quarterbacks rose to prominence. Joe Flacco probably has the top of that market right now.
“I think Rudolph has a good chance of being re-signed if he wants to come back. But he will only come back, I would imagine if he’s the No. 2 QB”, Dulac reiterated. “Remember, that Bengals game was on national TV, and he did a lot to show other teams he can be a pretty good backup QB”.
While he’s occasionally aired his grievances in often passive-aggressive comments about past quarterback rooms and a lack of practice reps, Rudolph has been a good teammate and a hard worker. He is to be commended for that, surely. But this next game will be just as important to his future resume as was the last, and there’s no guarantee that he’ll look anywhere near as competent.
