Mason Rudolph has arguably been the most demonstrably successful pickup of the offseason to be given blowback from experts.
Mike Tomlin once again finds himself looking for a new quarterback. Once again, he appears to have found one.
However, while Russell Wilson and Justin Fields were able to win over experts in 2024, Mason Rudolph has not been able to do so this year. The Pittsburgh Steelers, of course, are not yet backed into a corner with the former Ben Roethlisberger backup.
Aaron Rodgers, Kirk Cousins, and a rookie in the 2025 NFL Draft could all land at Mike Tomlin’s feet before the dust settles in early May. However, one former Super Bowl winner warned the head coach against allowing Mason Rudolph to remain the de facto starter regardless of how he tries to sell it.
Chris Canty on Mason Rudolph
Russell Wilson is gone and Mason Rudolph is in. However, another quarterback should be “in,” according to NFL expert Chris Canty. The locker room could be at stake. Speaking on a March 31 edition of “First Take,” Canty claimed that keeping Rudolph doesn’t communicate a sense of “urgency,” which suggests a loss of Tomlin power and effort on the roster.
“Here’s the problem. Mike Tomlin can lie to us and say that they’re comfortable with Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. You know who he can’t lie to? The rest of those guys in the locker room,” Canty said.
He added: “Cam Hayward says that we are in a state of urgency. Having Mason Rudolph as QB1 Week One does not reflect a state of urgency.”
“I’m sorry, there’s no world in which the Pittsburgh Steelers as an organization can believe that Mason Rudolph can get them to where they want to go when the most games that this guy has ever started in any season in his NFL career is eight. It’s a 17-game regular season,” he concluded.
Being a head coach is almost like being a politician. If the message doesn’t win over those being coached, the head coach risks losing their power and authority. In Canty’s eyes, keeping Rudolph sends a bigger message than any number of words.
What Mike Tomlin had to say about Mason Rudolph
According to a March 31 ESPN article, Mike Tomlin said he was “comfortable” with Mason Rudolph, calling him “capable.”
“That’s why we brought him back. I’m comfortable with that. We’ve been there before. He’s a very capable guy.”
Rudolph went 8-4-1 over the course of three seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers under Mike Tomlin, per Pro Football Reference. In those years, he threw for 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, including a 5-3 run and a 3-0 run under Tomlin.
Of course, the con with Rudolph is his most recent sighting with the Tennessee Titans. Rudolph went 1-4 with the team, throwing for nine touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Tomlin has the special touch with Rudolph based on his history. If it comes down to it, Tomlin could be tasked with proving the wide bevy of detractors wrong.
