5 greatest backup quarterbacks in Pittsburgh Steelers history

Honorable Mention - Devlin "Duck" Hodges

The aforementioned 2019 season was a rollercoaster. When Rudolph was taken out first by Baltimore Ravens safety Earl Thomas and later by a rouge helmet in Cleveland, an undrafted rookie from the backwoods of Alabama stepped in to try his hand at leading a struggling Steelers offense.

Devlin Hodges, better known as "Duck" for his reputation as a champion duck caller, quickly became an underdog hero in Pittsburgh for his efforts in ensuring the Steelers wouldn't suffer its first losing season under head coach Mike Tomlin.

In his first start on the road in Los Angeles against the Chargers on Sunday Night Football, Hodges, head to head with Philip Rivers, emerged with the victory throwing for just 132 yards on 15 completions with a touchdown and interception. But that was just the start of the phenomenon.

Hodges went on to win his first three starts, including two against number one overall picks Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, to become the first undrafted rookie quarterback to win his first three starts since 1987.

Things didn't end in quite the storybook fashion as fans would have hoped as a four-interception performance against the Bills in a 17-10 loss sent the Steelers into a tailspin to end the season that saw the team miss the playoffs. Hodges was 4-4 as the Steelers starter and has yet to play another down in the NFL regular season since the 2019 season.

But I'm sure some of you still have a duck mask in the attic to serve as a reminder of that wild season.