5 QB options that make no sense for the Steelers (and 4 that do)

Makes sense for Steelers: Mason Rudolph

What a Cinderella story it was for Mason Rudolph this past season. The former third-round pick had become the but of many jokes in Pittsburgh, and his career seemed to have hit a bottom last offseason. No team wanted him, so he came back to the Steelers on a minimum deal. This seemed like his last grasp before the team turned to him in replacement of Pickett and Mitchell Trubisky.

Rudolph wasn’t perfect by any means, but he finally gave the Steelers the quarterback they seemingly wanted from the previous offseason. That was a safe player who made the needed plays but relied on the ground game to win. Pickett wasn’t doing that, but Rudolph was. This team wouldn’t have made the playoffs without Rudolph at the helm.

Because of this, he naturally makes a lot of sense to run with as the team's starting quarterback next season. At this point, he isn’t going to progress much, but the players seem to like him and the Steelers rallied with him at the helm.

While I agree that he is a logical fit, there are two reasons he isn’t in the top two names I would consider for the role. This team is still attached to Pickett for obvious reasons (more on that soon). Would Rudolph actually be given a shot to compete for the starting gig, or would this be 2022 all over again? As an individual, he has earned that right, and if the Steelers aren’t going to give him it, it doesn’t make sense to keep him here.

While I doubt that he will break the bank, there is a cost concern to factor in here. While his story was a good one, I also don’t think it will last. If given a full season, I would expect a mixed result. It isn’t like Rudolph suddenly launches this team into the Super Bowl conversation. He makes a lot of sense, don’t get me wrong, but there are other names I think I would prefer given the state of this team.