The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading to the playoffs after a successful 2023 regular season. One of the biggest storylines surrounding the team has been Mason Rudolph starting in place of former Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett.
Why is Rudolph playing over Pickett, a former first-round pick?
Why Is Rudolph Starting for the Pittsburgh Steelers?
In Week 16, Pickett was medically cleared to return following tightrope surgery on his ankle, but coach Mike Tomlin announced that the team would stick with Rudolph at QB.
“Kenny’s availability is less [in] question this week,” Tomlin said. “I anticipate him being available to practice. That being said, we’ve got to leave the ball in Mason Rudolph’s hands. He’s done a good job, and we’ve done a good job in the most recent two weeks.
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“We’ve taken care of the ball. He’s taking care of the ball. We score points at a rate [at] which we hadn’t done to this point this year. And with the urgency of the moment and because of those reasons, we’re going to leave the ball in his hands.”
Rudolph replaced Mitch Trubisky in the final minutes of the Week 15 loss to the Indianapolis Colts and has since elevated the Steelers’ offense. Pickett went down in Week 13, but Mitchell Trubisky got the first shot at the starting role. He faltered in his two starts, opening the door for Rudolph in Week 16.
Rudolph has found success in his three starts, taking down the Bengals (34-11), Seahawks (30-23), and Ravens (17-10).
With Pickett still being healthy enough to play, Tomlin confirmed that Rudolph will remain the starter in the playoffs.
A Mason Rudolph sighting #Steelers #NFL pic.twitter.com/jl2xqTPhN6
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot)
“We’ll stay with Mason Rudolph,” Tomlin said on Tuesday. “We’re just simply staying with the hot hand and not disrupting the apple cart. He’s delivered, we’ve delivered, and so, we will continue in that vein.”
With Rudolph’s recent success, it just makes sense to stick with him going forward, and Tomlin has expressed his satisfaction with his performance.
“He’s making good decisions,” Tomlin said. “But he’s working hard from a preparation standpoint and that preparedness is showing. There’s a cumulative body of work. Mason’s been here a long time. And I think that’s a component of it. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge that component of it as well.”
In three games as a starter this season, Rudolph has passed for 719 yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. The Steelers are 3-0 in that span and twice have reached the 30-point mark on offense. The last time the Steelers eclipsed 30+ points on offense was in a 37-30 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 20, 2022.
Rudolph led the Steelers to a 17-10 victory over the Ravens last Saturday in Baltimore in rainy conditions, completing 18 of 20 passes for 152 yards and a touchdown. That win, paired with the Jacksonville Jaguars’ loss to the Tennessee Titans on Sunday, led the Steelers to qualify for the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the AFC.
“I’ve said this repeatedly when asked about him, he has an unflappable confidence in himself,” Tomlin said. “He’s highly professional, he’s always preparing and prepared. And I think that that provides the platform or the performances that you’re seeing.”
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