Bringing back a series we’ve done throughout the offseason this morning for yinz. I promise we’re not going all Embrace Debate on you but Alex Kozora and I have teamed up to debate Steelers-related topics we have genuine, good-faith disagreement over. Let us know who made the better argument and what side of the debate you come in on in the comments below.
Today’s topic is…
WHICH QUARTERBACK WILL START NEXT WEEK AGAINST THE SEATTLE SEAHAWKS – KENNY PICKETT OR MASON RUDOLPH?
JONATHAN Heitritter- MASON RUDOLPH WILL START
The Pittsburgh Steelers may see Kenny Pickett as their franchise quarterback, but Mason Rudolph is the clear choice to start next week coming off the best performance of his career. He gave Pittsburgh’s offense the spark it lacked the last two seasons since Ben Roethlisberger retired, lighting it up through the air to the tune of 290 yards and two passing touchdowns to WR George Pickens. He looked in control of the offense, showcasing a pretty deep ball while making smart decisions and protecting the football, helping Pittsburgh keep their lead and secure a blowout win against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Pickett’s status for next week’s game is still up in the air given that he is still rehabbing from tightrope surgery on his ankle, having missed the last three games. Should he be cleared to play next week, he likely won’t be 100% and will have limited mobility against an attacking Seahawks defensive front. Throw in the fact that he’s struggled mightily at times throwing the football and jump starting this offense, it may take some time for Pickett to knock off the rust against a Seahawks team that is also battling for their playoff lives.
Tomlin has shown support for Pickett though all of his struggles, but he also has stated in the past that his business is winning, and Pittsburgh is facing playoff elimination if they take another loss to Seattle next weekend. Given Rudolph’s strong performance after sitting the bench for nearly two seasons and the fact that Pickett likely won’t be fully healthy even if he’s cleared, Tomlin and team ownership will feel the pressure to keep Rudolph in there at least one more week and ride that momentum he gave them, at least until Pickett shows he can play with no restrictions with his ankle. If this team is serious about making a playoff push and keeping the standard the standard, Rudolph gives them their best chance to do that at this juncture, having captained Pittsburgh to their best offensive output in nearly three years.
Alex Kozora – Kenny Pickett Will Start
To be clear, this is a prediction debate. Not a “who would we start” topic. Subtle but different. And I’ll admit Jonathan makes a strong argument. Coming into the week, I assumed no matter what Rudolph did, Pickett would be the guy for the Seahawks’ game. Even watching Rudolph’s early success, I didn’t budge. Judging the end result, the Steelers’ big offensive output, I understand it would be tough for Tomlin to look the locker room in the eye and turn away from Rudolph.
But don’t be shocked when that happens. Tomlin loves Kenny Pickett. That’s his guy. He’s stood by him every single chance he could this season, protecting and shielding him from the media. And we know Tomlin famously believes that injury shouldn’t cost a player his starting job. That topic got dredged up in the Broderick Jones/Dan Moore Jr. discussion that already feels like it was 1000 years ago. Right or wrong, Tomlin stuck with Moore when he got healthy.
While Rudolph had the best showing of any Steelers’ quarterback this season, think about what starting him next week means. To steal a phrase from It’s Always Sunny, it’s the implication. It would mean benching a healthy Kenny Pickett. And sure, Tomlin could try to spin things and say Pickett just wasn’t quite ready to go this week but we all know if Rudolph played anything short of what he did Saturday evening, Pickett is starting Week 17 no questions asked. That wouldn’t fool anyone.
Starting Rudolph means Pickett has lost his job. That is heavy for a team who has invested so much in Pickett only to turn to the third-stringer they started only because they had no other choice. And what if Rudolph goes out and struggles against Seattle? Then you’re left with Rudolph, his carriage turning back into a pumpkin, and Pickett, your first round quarterback who sat for the pumpkin. That story won’t just disappear. It’s going to linger.
If Pickett is sat, it’s hard for the Steelers to go into 2024 believing and acting as if he’s still their starting franchise quarterback. His numbers are poor, his injuries mounting, and he couldn’t regain his starting job by year’s end to career-backup Mason Rudolph. It’s hard to come back and carve out a successful career from all of that.
There might be a short-term benefit to starting Rudolph. But there is long-term consequence. And while Rudolph was excellent against the Bengals, no arguing that, it did help that defenses haven’t seen him in this offense in awhile. Now Seattle has tape on him. A better feel for how the offense looks.
And at some point, Rudolph will likely regress just as other temporary feel-good stories have, like Minnesota’s Josh Dobbs. If that happens, your quarterback room becomes a mess, bouncing back and forth from guy to guy with no clear top option, and you’re basically admitting the position is starting over from scratch. Tomlin understands all of that. And it’s why he could stick with the option we previously expected and put Pickett back in the lineup.
