Not only did veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph have a great game in his first start since the 2021 season on Saturday against the Cincinnati Bengals, it was very evident he was able to get the guys to rally around him and believe, providing a major spark to the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offense in a rather impressive 34-11 win.
It helped that Rudolph made some plays early, hitting wide receiver George Pickens in stride for an 86-yard touchdown on a slant route on the second play from scrimmage, but that leadership was on full display throughout the Week 16 game. Heck, it was even on display throughout the week as Rudolph said all the right things and had teammates in his corner, stating how thrilled they were him to get another opportunity.
In-game, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin noticed that Rudolph displayed a very natural leadership ability, which resonated with teammates and led to Rudolph’s big day. That was key in the Steelers’ offense looking as good as it’s looked since the days of Ben Roethlisberger.
“I thought it was a very natural act, and I think that confidence in self allows for thoughtfulness regarding others to happen,” Tomlin said regarding Rudolph’s leadership against the Bengals, according to video via the Steelers’ YouTube page. “And so, oftentimes leadership is reflected in just thoughtfulness, in terms of how you interact with others. And you better be confident in what you’re doing before that has a chance to reveal itself.
“And so, I know he is a confident guy and so I wasn’t surprised that he was thoughtful about his interactions with others and displayed natural leadership skills in play.”
Nothing that Rudolph did as far as his leadership and ability to direct the offense was much of a surprise.
Even though he didn’t have a ton of success when he was the starting quarterback in 2019 and even in his one-game stint as a starter in 2021, Rudolph’s leadership, preparedness and professionalism have always been on display throughout his time in Pittsburgh.
That we got to see it again in-stadium was quite the treat just a few days before Christmas.
For Tomlin, that leadership style from Rudolph goes back to before the Steelers selected him in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of Oklahoma State.
“I think it’s probably something that was cultivated in Stillwater,” Tomlin said of Rudolph’s leadership style. “He had a lot of success in Stillwater, Oklahoma, man. He might be a College Football Hall of Fame-type guy, and I don’t think you unlearn those experiences.”
That’s high praise from Tomlin when it comes to Rudolph potentially being a future College Hall of Famer based on his production at Oklahoma State.
Those same traits from a leadership standpoint, along with his physical traits, including a strong and accurate arm, attracted the Steelers to him in 2018. It was good to see those leadership traits pay off in a big way in a must-win game for the franchise after having dropped three straight games.
