In typical fashion, QB Mason Rudolph came off the bench and played well in Week 4, replacing an injured Will Levis and jump-starting the Tennessee Titans’ offense. Despite the spark, the Titans are sticking with Levis as their starter going forward, keeping Rudolph in his backup role.
Titans head coach Brian Callahan told reporters Wednesday Levis is the team’s intended starter and that he should be medically cleared ahead of this weekend.
Levis suffered a shoulder injury in the team’s Week 4 game against the Miami Dolphins. Rudolph subbed in and finished the game 9-of-17 for 85 yards in a 31-12 win. While the stats did not light up the box score, the offense moved more fluidly with Rudolph in the game, and he engineered a key end-of-half-field-goal drive to put the Titans up 9-3 at the break. As the Dolphins’ offense crumbled, the Titans ran the ball in the second half and Rudolph wasn’t asked to do much in the win. The Titans had a Week 5 bye that gave time for Levis to get healthy.
Rudolph’s career has been defined by being counted out and stepping in. That happened in Pittsburgh last season, Rudolph going from third-string quarterback to starter and rattling off three-straight wins to lead the Steelers into the playoffs. He finished the year with three touchdowns, no interceptions, and completing nearly 75 percent of his passes.
Despite the team publicly expressing a desire to re-sign Rudolph, Pittsburgh turned to Russell Wilson instead, leaving Rudolph to sign a one-year deal with the Titans. He beat out Malik Willis for the No. 2 job in training camp, impressing with his accuracy and poise. Willis was traded to the Green Bay Packers.
While Rudolph is again the backup, Levis has struggled throughout the season. Turnovers and mistakes have been recurring problems. If that continues, it’s possible the team turns to Rudolph later in the season. Based on his career, he’ll be ready.
