The Steelers’ lack of action at the quarterback position this offseason can be viewed in two ways. Some believe it’s a sign that Aaron Rodgers will eventually walk in that door. Others view it the opposite, and think the Steelers’ 2025 season may be doomed either way.
After trading for and extending DK Metcalf, the Steelers have a great receiving duo between him and George Pickens. However, as of now, Mason Rudolph would be throwing them the ball. ESPN’s Louis Riddick doesn’t think that situation will end well.
“DK Metcalf and George Pickens, they come across as guys that are gonna take real kindly to a quarterback who can’t get them the rock on a consistent basis, I think that’s gonna bode well for their football team,” Riddick said, sarcastically, on NFL Live on Wednesday.
Riddick’s sarcasm aside, the point isn’t a bad one. Pickens has made plenty of headlines for his play on the field. During his three years in Pittsburgh, he’s also making some for the wrong reasons. Metcalf isn’t quite as polarizing, but he’s also no stranger to outbursts during games.
Pittsburgh got itself a talented, yet temperamental receiving duo with these two. Everyone involved with the organization seems to believe in Rudolph, but just how far can Rudolph take this roster? Riddick isn’t hopeful for the Steelers’ 2025 season, to say the least.
“Mason Rudolph has played a role in this league for a long time,” Riddick said. “And he’ll continue to play that role. But it’s a role. They need a franchise quarterback. And now they’ve painted themselves into a corner… You’re looking at a real troubling season, I believe.”
Rudolph is one of the more curious cases the Steelers have seen at the quarterback position. His largest stint as a starter came in 2018, when he started eight games for the Steelers. The Steelers won five of those games, but Rudolph put up pedestrian numbers, including an 82.0 passer rating. Statistically, his best stint came in the final three games of the 2023 regular season, when Rudolph won all three and posted a much-improved rating of 118.0 during that stretch.
Then the playoffs came. Rudolph wasn’t bad against the Bills, but the Steelers’ 31-17 loss shows how far their ceiling really goes with Rudolph. He had a chance in Tennessee in 2024 and won just one of the five games he started.
Rudolph is certainly a quality backup and one of the better ones in the league. If Aaron Rodgers doesn’t eventually sign, though, the Steelers won’t be improving on their traditional 10-7 record anytime soon.
