The outlandish takes on Mason Rudolph have gone far enough

The Steelers always find their way into contention

Before we delve into this take, I want to mention at least the elephant in the room: I still think Aaron Rodgers is likely to be the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. But recent takes from national analysts have me wanting to touch on this idea that the Steelers would be the bottom dweller in the AFC North with Mason Rudolph.

CBS NFL analyst Pete Prisco went as far to say that Rudolph “stinks.”

“Mason Rudolph, not very good,” Prisco said. I’ll be honest with you, he’s a backup quarterback. By National Football League standards, he stinks.”

Prisco also said if Rudolph is the starter, Mike Tomlin’s not having a winning record this year.

Personally, I’d be shocked if that’s the case.

The first bit of evidence I’d point to is Rudolph’s 2023 end-of-season run with the black and gold. After Kenny Pickett was injured and eventually benched, Rudolph started the final three games of the season. During that span, his passer rating was 118, which was the best in the league at the time.

He threw for 719 yards, three TDs, and no interceptions in wins over the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, and Baltimore Ravens, respectively, which ultimately led to an unlikely playoff berth.

After a short one-year stint in Tennessee, the Steelers were quick to bring back the signal-caller they were familiar with. Both parties appear to be very happy about the decision.

“You know, I’ve got a lot of great friends and teammates here, a lot of comfortability with (head coach) Mike (Tomlin) and the staff, and (general manager) Omar (Khan) put together a great roster,” Rudolph said. “Who wouldn’t want to be a part of this team and this offense?”

It makes sense considering he’s led the Steelers to an 8-4-1 record in 13 starts throughout six seasons in the Burgh, primarily backing up Hall of Fame signal caller Ben Roethlisberger. He’s not a rookie or unproven young quarterback who still has to prove himself that he can play.

Many detractors will point to his stats in Tennessee last year, throwing just 9 TDs to 9 INTs, but that was a mess of an offense and team, so it’s difficult to put the blame on his shoulders.

The Steelers are not a mess of a team.

Since Rudolph’s departure, they have a better offensive coordinator in Arthur Smith, a better WR1 in DK Metcalf, and a much-improved offensive line.

I’m not saying he’s going to be a knight in shining armor who will guide the Steelers to a Lombardi trophy – but the idea that they will be an awful team if he’s the starting quarterback is an uninformed, and quite frankly, abysmal take.

Right now, major sportsbooks have set the Steelers’ win total at 8.5. This will likely change if Rodgers is signed. But if he isn’t – I think it’s a fair line for Rudolph. He’s capable of continuing Mike Tomlin’s streak of no losing seasons. I understand that’s not the ultimate goal, but it’s far from futile.