The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have Aaron Rodgers in the building, even though OTAs kicked off on Tuesday. However, they may have their starting quarterback already on the roster anyway, in Mason Rudolph. Speaking to the media after practice on Tuesday, Rudolph was asked about his new teammate, DK Metcalf.
“He’s an unbelievable athlete,” Rudolph said. “I think we all kind of knew that from watching the tape and watching him from across the league. I thought his, wanting to learn, and his questions, he’s inquisitive, he’s very intelligent, very articulate, I thought. That was big time. And he just seems like a guy who’s you know, he’s a low-ego guy. He’s been paid a lot. He’s been very successful. But he’s very hungry to improve.”
It’s worth noting that Metcalf wasn’t at OTAs on Tuesday, so the two didn’t get any work together in the first of six such sessions. However, OTAs are voluntary, so it’s not like he’s missing any mandatory time.
“Yeah, he was here last week,” Rudolph said. “I mean, he was probably here half the time during Phase 1 and 2.”
Obviously, you’d like Metcalf to be at OTAs. Especially since it’s a new team, offense, and quarterback who will be throwing him the ball, whether it ends up being Rudolph or Rodgers.
Overall, it’s good to hear this positive feedback from Rudolph regarding his star receiver. If Rodgers doesn’t end up signing and the Steelers don’t target Kirk Cousins, who may be their Plan B, Rudolph is going to be the starter.
The Steelers have made it clear throughout the offseason that they’re comfortable with Rudolph starting games. He’ll still need help, though, in that scenario. Especially since the Steelers traded George Pickens, one of their top weapons on offense, and somebody Rudolph was fond of.
Metcalf is still an excellent first option, though. If Rudolph is the starter, it’s paramount that he builds chemistry with his No. 1 receiver. It’s good to hear that the two have worked together, despite Metcalf not being there on Tuesday. Even if Metcalf isn’t getting the ball, his presence could open up room for others in the passing game, including Pat Freiermuth, Calvin Austin III and Roman Wilson.
At the end of the day, the Steelers want as many players in the building as possible, as often as possible. They’ve at least got one starting option there in Rudolph, and he’s already starting to build that chemistry with Metcalf.
