A lot has been said about the Pittsburgh Steelers’ lack of leadership on offense this season. It is a unit in transition from the old guard to the new. With very few players on the roster that had exposure to guys like Ben Roethlisberger, Maurkice Pouncey, and the leaders of the last era, the tradition of the Steeler Way has been questioned.
The only player starting on offense who has been with the team for more than one contract is Diontae Johnson. Every other player is either an external free agent who recently signed or a young player on their rookie contract. That is, until Mason Rudolph was inserted as the starter at quarterback. He instantly became the longest-tenured player with the team who is starting on that side of the ball.
Former Steelers ILB Vince Williams discussed this topic in a thread he posted on X Tuesday morning.
His point is that some of the Tomlinisms and phrases that the organization has lived by for decades have been demonstrated to Rudolph multiple times since he was drafted in 2018. He has been able to turn those phrases into action, and for “next man up,” he is currently a living example of that mantra at work. Rudolph has stepped in after riding the pine for years with rare opportunities to play since his second season in 2019 when Roethlisberger was injured. To some, it seems like an overnight success, but he has been working within the organization for six seasons.
“Mason’s success stems from his experience within the Steelers organization and the confidence that comes from knowing he has nothing to lose,” Williams wrote.
When Rudolph first took the field in the final two minutes of a blowout loss to the Indianapolis Colts, he did so with his life after football already in mind. He was thinking about a career in commercial real estate. He hadn’t been receiving many opportunities in Pittsburgh and nobody else seemed to want him in free agency as the Steelers brought him back this season on a cheap one-year deal.
This doesn’t mean Williams thinks Rudolph is the quarterback of the future. One person replied asking if the Steelers should draft another quarterback high to which Williams replied, “No Kenny is the future. This is going to make him better.”
QB Kenny Pickett was drafted in the first round and with that comes more opportunities than most. Yeah, Pickett had to earn the starting job his rookie season, but that took all of four games before he wrested the job away from Mitch Trubisky for good. It was more the result of Trubisky’s struggles, not necessarily Pickett’s readiness. Williams’ assertion is that this situation will refocus Pickett and make him even hungrier going into the offseason. But for the time being, Rudolph’s veteran presence is a welcomed addition to the offense and one that was needed as the group grows and matures into the culture of the organization.
