With the NFL season approaching rapidly, here are three Steelers who are on “thin ice” and need to have a great training camp to survive.
Every offseason in the NFL, players have to show off their talent during training camp and preseason games, to be able to make the 53-man roster. This is no different for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
With all the new additions in both the draft and in free agency, a large group of players are going to need to have a good camp in order to stay on the roster. On top of that, locker room and contract issues can also be a factor in the release of some players.
Usually, the Steelers don’t tend to overpay players, and as seen in the past, players with locker room issues are quickly escorted out of the building. However, with Kevin Colbert out and Omar Khan in, the team might be looked at through a “different lense”.
It will be interesting to see what the new Steelers management does with the team this offseason. These are three players who could be on thin ice entering training camp in 2022.
Steelers QB Mason Rudolph
Mason Rudolph has been a trending topic as of late. Currently, Rudolph is competing for the starting quarterback job. Although the Steelers haven’t really came out and said that anybody has the upper hand, it seems like most people believe that Rudolph doesn’t stand a chance in this competition.
To be fair to Mason, he has a lot going against him going into this year’s training camp. With the Steelers paying Mitch Trubisky “starter level” money this offseason, and then turning around and drafting Kenny Pickett in the first round, it’s safe to say Rudolph is going to start third in line come training camp.
Rudolph’s contract could also become a factor in his departure. This coming season, Rudolph is set to earn a base salary of 3 million dollars. If Mason doesn’t climb up the depth chart this offseason, that is a lot of money to be paying your 3rd string quarterback.
Not to mention the Steelers also drafted QB Chris Oladokun in the 7th round. He could easily fill the 3rd quarterback slot for a fraction of the price. This selection might actually be the factor that drives Rudolph out of Pittsburgh.
With all of these obstacles in the way, Mason is really going to have to impress at camp if he wants to stick around.