There have been 56 different NFL quarterbacks this season who have started at least one game. The Pittsburgh Steelers added to that total last week when QB Mitch Trubisky started Thursday against the New England Patriots, their second different player at the position to start a game, and second to play.
But how close could we be to seeing a third? Head coach Mike Tomlin would like you to think that it’s not a part of the discussion, but what if Trubisky continues to struggle? Mason Rudolph is a player this team has known for many years.
Rudolph was on the active roster for the first time all season last week as the backup Trubisky—he had previously dressed for every game only as an emergency quarterback, who is only eligible to enter a game if the first two quarterbacks suffer injuries.
“I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t changed at all”, Rudolph told reporters yesterday, via the team’s website, about the switch from emergency option to direct backup. “Knowing you’re one play away, does it create a little bit more urgency? Yes. And it’s more exciting because I love to play football. You love to be on a team and put your hand in the pile, but you also love to play, and that’s a little bit more real this week”.
That’s about as far as he was willing to go, however. While Tomlin was bending over backward to seemingly paint his offense in the least unflattering light possible, he would not entertain any notion of a quarterback change.
When Rudolph was asked if he’d gotten a sense that he could possibly play this week, his response was somewhat curious. “I’m not gonna discuss that. That’s for the coaches. Those kinds of decisions are made by coaches”, he responded. “I’ll fall in line and do as told and prepare for the game”.
What is there to read into this, if anything? I think it stands to reason that if he were being prepared to potentially take over if Trubisky struggles, this is what he would say. But is it the same thing that he would say if that were not the case?
I will note that when Tomlin first explained why Trubisky was starting on Thursday following Pickett’s injury, he cited Trubisky’s season’s worth of practice reps versus virtually none for Rudolph. On a short week, the practice circumstances couldn’t have changed much.
Rudolph this week, however, will have gotten as much work as he has seen since training camp. And behind closed doors, it’s hard to imagine anybody on that coaching staff being pleased with what they got out of Trubisky.
What kind of leash might he be on entering this game? Could he be pulled if they determine that he is harming their chances of winning? Remember, the Steelers are still very much in the thick of the playoff race, so every decision they make has to be geared toward winning. In their estimation, does that include being ready to pull their starter should he push them to that?
