I know that many of you probably had a brain aneurysm reading the title of the article, but it is absolutely true. Mason Rudolph proved to be worthy of at least the chance to become Ben Roethlisberger’s successor. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert continued to praise Rudolph throughout this offseason, words he deserves. His development as a defender in this league has had an upward trajectory since he was called. Sure, there were some tough times for a quarterback in the third round, but that player will not reach his real potential until his fourth / fifth year in the league.
GM Kevin Colbert on Mason Rudolph: The game he started this year (in Cleveland) was the best he played for us. It was very encouraging to see him play the way he played in Cleveland.
– Bob Labriola (@BobLabriola) February 17, 2021
Let’s just look at some facts about the former Oklahoma State Cowboy. To begin with, Rudolph completed 61.7% of his passes, which is almost the league average. But he was able to do that in the terrible attack of Steelers 2019, and with Steelers backups at the end of the 2020 season. His career touchdown rate for interception is 15-10, but if you take your worst game out of career (in Cleveland in 2019) the ratio is 14-6. Finally, Rudolph has a strong arm and throws a very deep ball. His ability to hit guys like Chase Claypool on deep routes changes the complexity of the attack.
Players can and will improve. I know that much of the contempt for Rudolph comes from his time as a starter in 2019. But you should keep in mind that Ben Roethlisberger received most of the training camp photos that year, and Rudolph hasn’t yet realized the attack yet. This forced the team to simplify what was already a mild attack. He didn’t stand a chance that year and was put in a terrible position. His last two games against the Jets in 2019 and the Browns in 2020 could hold the key to seeing what Rudolph could really become. Someone who takes care of the ball, but has developed a perverse deep ball. Don’t let the first introductions get in the way of your judgment about this boy. Imagine what he could do if he had an entire training camp to train as a starter within a better offensive system.
With Matt Canada now in charge of the attack, Rudolph will be in a system much more suited to his abilities and will be in a position to succeed. Unlike Randy Fichtner, who almost got his head ripped off every week in 2019.
Now, by no means am I suggesting that the Steelers should give up on writing a quarterback in the near future. I’m not even saying that Rudolph is the future of this organization. But the Steelers have already invested a lot of time in the development of Rudolph and should at least take a look. If he fails, the Steelers can move on to Dwayne Haskins or whoever they have waiting behind the scenes. But if he takes the next step, Steelers can keep rolling without having to worry about the most important position in the game.
But what do you think? Are you willing to give Mason Rudolph one more chance to step into the Steelers’ quarterback role? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.