Tiresome as the stat has become in Pittsburgh Steelers fan circles, Mike Tomlin has never had a losing season. If Mason Rudolph remains the team’s starting quarterback, CBS Sports’ analyst Pete Prisco is confident that streak will come to an end.
Weighing in on the Steelers’ quarterback situation as Pittsburgh begins spring practices Tuesday, Prisco isn’t buying the idea Rudolph can keep the team competitive should Aaron Rodgers not sign.
“If [Rodgers] doesn’t, Mike Tomlin’s not having a winning record this year,” Prisco said on CBS Sports HQ. “You’re not playing with Mason Rudolph and winning games. Look at the division.”
The AFC North is led by the Baltimore Ravens, who have captured the division crown each of the last two seasons. Should they make it three in a row, they’ll be the first team to do so in the AFC North, which was founded in 2002. The Cincinnati Bengals have missed the postseason each of the past two years but boast one of the NFL’s most potent offenses and locked up receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to long-term contracts this offseason. With Joe Burrow at quarterback, they should again light up the scoreboard. The concern will be over their defense, especially with star pass rusher Trey Hendrickson locked in a messy contract stalemate with the organization.
The Steelers are only viewed as better than the Cleveland Browns, a team that has split the season series with Pittsburgh each of the last three years. Most, including probably Prisco, view the Steelers as the AFC North’s third-best team, which places them on the outside of the playoff bubble. Especially if Rudolph is at the helm.
“Mason Rudolph, not very good,” he said. “I’ll be honest with you. He’s a backup quarterback. By National Football League standards, he stinks. We’re not comparing him to me or somebody in 11th grade down the block at the high school.”
Rudolph was recently rated the 31st-best starting quarterback in the league, only ahead of unknown New Orleans Saints rookie Tyler Shough. In spurts, Rudolph has held his own and won. He came off the bench to end the 2023 season and ripped off three-straight victories to turn around Pittsburgh’s season. In extended action last year with the Tennessee Titans, he threw as many interceptions (nine) as touchdowns passes.
He’s an ideal No. 2 quarterback to play for the short-term, not long-term. But he should quickly earn Arthur Smith’s trust and run the offense exactly how coaches draw it up. That creates a level of comfort but doesn’t guarantee success when the Steelers need high-level QB play to compete with the AFC’s best.
