Mason Rudolph proved worthy of another blow as a Steelers starter

I know many of you have probably had a brain aneurysm while reading the title of the article, but it’s absolutely true. Mason Rudolph has proven he deserves at least to get the shot to become Ben Roethlisberger’s successor. Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert has continued to congratulate Rudolph throughout this offseason, words he deserves. His development as a quarterback in this league has been on an upward trajectory since he was drafted. Sure, there have been some bumpy times for a third round quarterback, but this player isn’t really going to reach his potential until his fourth / fifth year in the league.

Let’s just look at some facts about the former Oklahoma State cowboy. For starters, Rudolph completed 61.7% of his passes, which is just around the league average. But he was able to do it as part of the Steelers ‘terrible offense 2019 and with the Steelers’ saves in the 2020 season finale. His career touchdown to interception ratio sits at 15-10, but if you go out his career-worst game (at Cleveland in 2019), the ratio is 14-6. To top it off, Rudolph has an arm cannon and throws a really nice deep ball. His ability to hit guys like Chase Claypool on deep roads changes the whole complexity of the attack.

Players can and will improve. I know a lot of the contempt for Rudolph stems from his time as a starter in 2019. But you have to keep in mind that Ben Roethlisberger received the bulk of the snaps from training camp that year, and Rudolph hadn’t quite grasped the offensive yet. This forced the team to simplify what was already a bland offense. He had no chance that year and was put in a terrible situation. His last two games against the Jets in 2019 and the Browns in 2020 could be the key to seeing what Rudolph could really become. Someone who takes care of the ball, but has developed a bad deep ball. Don’t let the early performances cloud your judgment on this child. Imagine what he could do if he had an entire training camp to practice as a starter in a better offensive system.

With Matt Canada now in charge of the offense, Rudolph will be in a system much better suited to his skill set and in a position to succeed. Unlike Randy Fichtner, who almost had his head removed every week in 2019.

Now I’m not suggesting in any way that the Steelers should forgo drafting a quarterback in the near future. I’m not saying Rudolph is the future of this organization either. But the Steelers have already invested a lot of time in developing Rudolph and should at least take a look. If he fails, the Steelers can move on to Dwayne Haskins or whoever is waiting behind the scenes. But if he takes the next step, the Steelers can keep rolling without having to worry about the games’ most important position.

But what do you think? Are you ready to give Mason Rudolph another shot at the Steelers starting quarterback role? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.