The NFL has seen many backup quarterbacks play well in 2023. The most recent was Drew Lock on Monday night, leading the Seattle Seahawks to a win over the Philadelphia Eagles with a game-winning drive.
Mason Rudolph will be the next in line to get his shot, as all signs are pointing towards him starting on Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals. And while the Steelers’ playoff chances look bleak as ever, they still do have some sort of a path. But losing on Saturday would all but end the few pipe dreams that fans are still holding onto.
But for Rudolph, the game could have a significance beyond this season. Interim offensive coordinator Eddie Faulkner talked about Rudolph’s mindset going into this game in an interview transcript provided by the team.
“He’s excited about his opportunity, and why wouldn’t he be?” Faulkner noted. “It’s a big game, and he can really make his point about some things. It’s an opportunity for him to put himself in good standing moving forward. So, I like Mason’s [Rudolph] demeanor right now.”
It’s not often that third quarterbacks get the opportunity to start during the regular season, and as Faulkner said, this is a huge moment for Rudolph. Sure, you can show things in practice, training camp, and pre-season, but that all pales in comparison to a regular season game. And not just any regular season game, but one where the Steelers are at their lowest point of the season, and Rudolph could be the one to change their fortunes.
Rudolph also has the chance to make a statement to the organization, which would be that he is capable of being the team’s backup quarterback going into 2024. Our own Dave Bryan wrote about the salary cap-based argument of why he thinks Mitch Trubisky will not be with the team in 2024, and it doesn’t seem that Trubisky will get another chance to prove he is worth the money before 2024.
So that leaves Rudolph with what is essentially an audition. It seems like Pickett might be back next week, so the time is now for Rudolph to establish himself as a worthy backup. To be frank, expectations are pretty low right now, so even just a respectable offensive performance would feel like The Greatest Show on Turf to Steelers fans. Rudolph’s contract is also expiring after this season, so it’s not just the Steelers that he might be trying to “make his point” to either.
