OTAs have started, and Aaron Rodgers still isn’t a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. While it seems like he’ll eventually join the team, that’s not guaranteed. That leaves Mason Rudolph as the Steelers’ starter. That might not inspire a ton of confidence in many fans, but Bucky Brooks believes there’s a path to success for the Steelers with Rudolph atop their quarterback depth chart.
“To me, when they signed Mason Rudolph to this two-year $7.5 million deal to be the kind of QB1, QB2, they did it because they were confident enough that, if they don’t get a better option as the starter, Mason Rudolph can hold it down and they can win a lot of games with him,” Brooks said recently on Bleav’s YouTube channel. “Remember, in Pittsburgh, it’s not about winning pretty. It’s about winning.
“Mason Rudolph can give this team a chance to win. Not at the level we always talk about. Are they a title contender? No, but they certainly can be a playoff participant. A team that can create some headaches or problems based on the way that they play, that ball-control offense with a rugged defense. I wouldn’t dismiss the Pittsburgh Steelers’ chances of winning with Mason Rudolph as QB1.”
Brooks is correct that the Steelers don’t care about winning pretty. Over the last few years, most of their wins have been ugly. No one loves a one-score game more than the Steelers. That mainly stems from their desire to run the ball, control the clock, and play smothering defense.
However, the Steelers have also lost games that are even uglier than their wins. That’s often been a result of their offense not being able to keep up. With Rudolph starting, it’s hard to envision that changing. The Steelers’ offense probably wouldn’t be able to keep up with some of the AFC’s better teams.
There’s a significant risk associated with walking into this season with Rudolph as the starting quarterback. Pittsburgh’s defense faltered down the stretch last year. If they struggle again, things could get ugly for the Steelers. At least with Rodgers, there’s hope that their offense can be less anemic than it has been in the past.
Could the Steelers win a playoff game with Rudolph? Maybe, but that might be their ceiling. Brooks is right that they wouldn’t be Super Bowl contenders with Rudolph starting. They might not even reach those heights if they sign Rodgers.
However, anything can happen in the postseason. The Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in eight years. Changing that might make this season a success. Rudolph helped the Steelers make the playoffs before, and in the ensuing postseason game, he wasn’t terrible.
In the right scenario, Pittsburgh could break its playoff drought with Rudolph starting. Whether that’s enough to satisfy the team is a different question. They probably want to compete for a championship, which is why they’re pursuing Rodgers. The Steelers could win with Rudolph, but they probably have a chance at winning more with Rodgers.
