Delayed gratification can be difficult thing to stomach when you don’t see the fruits of your labor in the midst of the process, but when but when your hard work comes to fruition, the taste can’t be much sweeter.
That’s the case for QB Mason Rudolph, who hadn’t started an NFL football game in two seasons, being buried on the depth chart behind QBs Kenny Pickett and Mitch Trubisky after last filling in for Ben Roethlisberger against the Detroit Lions in 2021. Pittsburgh’s attrition at quarterback the last few weeks led to Rudolph going from game day inactive to the team’s starting quarterback Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Rudolph delivered on his opportunity, helping lead Pittsburgh to a 34-11 against Cincinnati. He was a star of the game as he completed 17-of-27 pass attempts for 290 passing yards and two touchdowns and zero interceptions, posting Pittsburgh’s first 250-plus yard, two-plus touchdown game since Roethlisberger in 2021.
“Shout out to Mason,” OLB Alex Highsmith said in his opening remarks to the media via video from Steelers.com. “He had a heck of a game and just coming out and doing his thing. He’s been working and it showed. We all rally around him, and he came out and he did his thing today.
“I’m just so happy for him ’cause I know how hard he works, and you know how committed he is, and he prepares like he’s a starter every week, He’s one of those guys who’s staying extra, taking care of his body, doing things, watching film. And so, he’s someone who’s been working. He got his opportunity, and he ran with it.”
Rudolph got off to a hot start, connecting with WR George Pickens on Pittsburgh’s second offensive play from scrimmage with Pickens taking the slant route 86 yards to the house for the score. Rudolph and Pickens connected again on a 66-yard touchdown strike in the third quarter. Rudolph dropped the ball into the bucket over Pickens’ shoulder as he pulled away from the coverage along the sideline for his second house call of the game.
OLB T.J. Watt was asked about Rudolph and his performance after the Steelers snapped a three-game losing streak.
“It was huge, but I’m not surprised,” Watt said via video from Bridgit Condon’s X page. “The guy has put in so much hard work. He’s always so attentive, being a true professional. Not knowing when his chance is going to come but all of that hard work paid off when he got his opportunity. And of course, some guys helped him out and made some big plays as well, and I’m very happy for him.”
It remains to be seen if Rudolph’s stellar performance will earn him a second start next week against the Seattle Seahawks. If Pickett is healthy enough to return, the Steelers will have a tough decision to make if they should go back to their first-round investment at quarterback or ride the hot hand who helped engineer the team’s best offensive output in over two years. For now, Pittsburgh and Rudolph can celebrate the win and the fact that they managed to keep their playoff hopes alive one more week. The Steelers still need plenty of help outside of winning their remaining two games. But for one more week at least they remains in the thick of things in the AFC playoff race.
