For the second year in a row, the Pittsburgh Steelers will have a completely new quarterback room. Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Kyle Allen are all with new teams. Now, the Steelers are on a quest to sign Aaron Rodgers. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like there’s any end in sight to that saga. Rodgers is still a free agent, dealing with some personal issues. At the moment, Mason Rudolph is their starting quarterback. And Chris Simms won’t be very excited to watch the Steelers if that remains the case.
“That would be disappointing,” Simms said Monday on Pro Football Talk. “I’m not going to lie. If I have to watch the Steelers with Mason Rudolph this year, I will be a little disappointed. It’s just that doesn’t move the needle much for me there.”
Some fans might agree with Simms. While Rudolph helped Pittsburgh make the playoffs during his last stint as its starter, that was only over the course of three games. If that’s stretched over the course of an entire season, what’s the team’s ceiling?
Can the Steelers win a Super Bowl with Rudolph as their starter? Nothing’s impossible, but that seems extremely unlikely. Could they win a playoff game? That seems more realistic, but still, it might be hard for them to be an actual postseason threat. The Steelers might struggle to even make the playoffs if they have Rudolph under center for an entire season.
Mike Tomlin stated that he’s comfortable rolling with Rudolph as the Steelers’ starting quarterback this season. He’s got confidence in the former third-round pick. However, there’s a reason why the Steelers are still pursuing Rodgers.
Rodgers probably gives the Steelers a quarterback they can win because of, not in spite of. Although Rodgers isn’t the same player he once was, he still looked like a quality starting option last year. He could elevate the Steelers’ offense in a way that Rudolph probably can’t.
It’s not like Rudolph is a terrible player. The Steelers probably have worse options under center. However, he hasn’t shown that he can consistently be a high-level NFL starter. Pittsburgh’s offense would probably be better off with Rodgers, even though he’s past his prime. Maybe Rudolph will prove Simms wrong, though. He’s given the Steelers’ offense life before.
