If Mason Rudolph couldn’t engineer the Pittsburgh Steelers to victory, he might’ve been selling members of Steeler Nation their next house. Stuck as a third-string quarterback the last two years and met with a cold free agent market this offseason, leading him to return to Pittsburgh, Rudolph may have never played another NFL snap if Saturday night in Pittsburgh didn’t go well.
“You’ve got confidence in yourself as a player,” he told reporters via the team website. “But you’re kind of thinking, am I gonna jump into the commercial real estate realm next year or I am I gonna be playing quarterback? Absolutely those thoughts come across your head.”
But Rudolph had an excellent performance, finishing with 290 passing yards and two touchdowns. The offense had success from its literal first snap of the game. After a 6-yard run by RB Najee Harris, Rudolph hit WR George Pickens on a slant that he took 86 yards to the house. It was the team’s longest passing score since WR JuJu Smith-Schuster’s 97-yard touchdown against the Detroit Lions in 2018.
Above all else, Pittsburgh’s output peaked. The offense finished with 34 points, its most in a win in more than three years, while falling just three yards shy of 400 yards. The offense fired on practically every cylinder, finishing drives it failed to convert in its 16-10 win over the Bengals in Week 12.
For Rudolph, it was his first start since 2021, filling in last-second when QB Ben Roethlisberger was shelved due to COVID. It was the first time Rudolph went into a week of practice as the team’s starter since the 2020 regular-season finale. He admitted there were nerves before Tuesday’s first session of on-field work.
“I thought I had a good week of practice. I don’t think I slept at all. I think it was Monday night before the Tuesday practice. Just because, I hadn’t taken a full day’s [worth] of reps in a while. And so you’re a little nervous and you’re a little tightly wound.”
Rudolph wasn’t even positive if he would truly start. QB Kenny Pickett practiced this week for the first time since his ankle injury and surgery, getting reps on all three days. But the team ruled him out by Thursday, ensuring Rudolph would get the nod. Now, Mike Tomlin has a big decision to make for Week 17 at Seattle.
He told reporters he was proud of the way the offense came together. Not just WR George Pickens, with the most gaudy plays of the night, but Harris, TE Darnell Washington, and others.
“We’ve got a good group and just happy for those guys,” Tomlin said.
If this is Rudolph’s last start of the season, and maybe the last of his career, he went out on top. A pending free agent, he certainly showed he’s capable of being a true NFL backup, a No. 2 quarterback, at the ready to come off the bench in a moment’s notice. That kind of performance in a must-win game on primetime television — Steelers-Bengals was the only one on TV this evening — will get the league’s attention. Throughout his presser, Rudolph circled back to one main idea. He was just happy to have the chance to play.
“Very rewarding. Just grateful to be back on this team this year and to have an opportunity to play a game. That’s all you can ever ask for,” Rudolph said. “Just thankful to God for giving me, for orchestrating it the way He did. And blessing me with and us with a great performance.”
Prior to the game, we wondered about Football Justice. If it was a real concept or something Mike Tomlin clung to. There’s no definitive proof. But for a man named Rudolph two days before Christmas, much like Santa, maybe it exists if you believe hard enough.
