5 biggest winners (and 5 biggest losers) of Steelers training camp

Steelers fourth biggest loser: Mason Rudolph

I was certainly surprised when the Steelers announced that they had agreed to a new contract with veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph. With Kenny Pickett locked in as the starter and Mitch Trubisky entrenched as the backup, Rudolph settling for a third-string role seemed unlikely. This was especially true considering he is playing on a veteran minimum contract.

What I also didn’t expect was for Rudolph to struggle so much in camp. A season ago he was arguably the best quarterback in camp, but he never got even remotely close to that level this year. He was constantly missing receivers and throwing interceptions. His play didn’t improve in the preseason games much either.

While his roster spot seems safe, I do see a scenario where he ultimately is cut. There will be a slew of veteran quarterbacks cut in the coming days, and with the top two spots locked up at quarterback, the team could take a chance on a name they liked as their third-string option. This would lead to Rudolph getting the axe.

There clearly wasn’t a market for Rudolph given his return and contract with Pittsburgh. While it seems very likely that Rudolph will stick around for another season, I wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a different name manning the spot after cutdowns. It was a lackluster showing and a tough offseason for the veteran quarterback.