The Steelers’ quarterbacks room is already slated to look different following Mitch Trubisky’s impending departure.
According to Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, the organization hopes to keep backup quarterback Mason
Rudolph around for the foreseeable future.
Unlike Trubisky, Rudolph’s likely departure is due to free agency. Rudolph, a former third-round draft pick in 2018,
has completed his rookie contract and received two one-year extensions. The Steelers went to Rudolph early in his
career, when he started eight games in 2019, but he hasn’t started as many games in the four years since then.
When regular starter Ben Roethlisberger suffered an injury in 2019, Rudolph guided Pittsburgh to five wins in eight
starts. Rudolph was benched in favor of Devlin Hodges following a physical altercation on the field with Browns
defensive end Myles Garrett, during which Garrett accused him of using a racial epithet, and a bad performance the
following week. He would not start another game until the starters’ rest day at the end of the 2020 season, and then
as a COVID-19 replacement for Roethlisberger in 2021. He would spend the entire 2022 season on the sideline,
having been demoted to third-string responsibilities behind Trubisky and then-rookie Kenny Pickett.
Rudolph saw substantial play for the first time in four years this season. With the Steelers’ season circling the drain
as one of the league’s least efficient offenses, Rudolph made his way back onto the field. With Pickett out due to
injury, Trubisky was set to start against the Colts in Week 14. Due to Trubisky’s troubles, Rudolph stepped in and
started the following two games as the new No. 2 behind an injured Pickett.
