Ben Roethlisberger was the reason the Steelers won as many games as they did in 2021. Take him out of the equation, insert Mason Rudolph, and they’re easily a sub-.500 team.
Rudolph will get into the nitty-gritty of his first offseason as QB1 for the Pittsburgh Steelers in just a few short months. He’ll get first-team reps, he’ll be “the man,” he’ll be the focus of the Steelers offense, he’ll be the first guy not named Ben Roethlisberger at the helm of the team in nearly two decades.
But even a full offseason as QB1 won’t magically make Rudolph good enough to be the face of Pittsburgh’s franchise. He just isn’t that type of quarterback. Rudolph doesn’t have that “it” factor. If he had, we would’ve seen a glimpse of what could be in his 10 career starts.
Given what Rudolph has shown in those starts, he won’t find success in 2022. He’ll fold under the pressure alone. But trot him onto the field and see what happens. If he flounders, so be it. Send Dwayne Haskins out there.
Times have changed — quickly. The Steelers won’t be ready to compete with the likes of the Bengals (or even the Ravens) in 2022. With all of the pieces the Steelers need, it will take patience.
There’s no harm in having a subpar season other than a bruised ego. A season with eight or fewer wins will get you in the top 15 of the NFL draft. Less than that, even better. It’s not what Pittsburgh wants; it’s not what it aims for. But if it’s what you get, it only means a higher draft pick and (hopefully) greener pastures in 2023.
These nine-win seasons only get you in the 20s — that’s not where the future is and certainly not a shot at a franchise quarterback.
Throw caution to the wind.