Starting Mason Rudolph could prove to be a lose-lose scenario for Steelers

Mason Rudolph will get the nod at quarterback this week for Steelers, but here’s why playing him in Week 17 could prove to be a lose-lose scenario.

With a Steelers comeback win against the Indianapolis Colts last week, Pittsburgh locked up the AFC North heading into the playoffs. Because of this, Pittsburgh wasted no time declaring that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would be sidelined for their final game against the Browns on Sunday to receive a week of rest. But is this really the best decision by the Steelers?

If there is a player who could use some time off this week, it’s Ben Roethlisberger. Because of the NFL’s worst rushing attack, the 38-year-old quarterback has been forced to sling the ball far more than anyone could have expected this year. While he hasn’t been hit often, Roethlisberger had very serious elbow surgery this past offseason, and giving his arm time to rest seems like a no-brainer – especially because the Steelers were robbed of their original Week 8 bye this year.

Unfortunately, it’s not quite so cut and dry. Anytime Mike Tomlin chooses to make a decision like this, Pittsburgh needs to consider the repercussions. Mason Rudolph has been a complete disappointment over his first two seasons. Though he shined in preseason last year, he was abysmal during the regular season and was eventually benched for Devlin Hodges late in the season.

While giving Rudolph a chance to prove himself this week seems like a perfect scenario, I have my suspicions as to what this could actually do. Here’s why starting Mason Rudolph could prove to be a lose-lose situation for Steelers this week against the Browns: