It’s looking like the Pittsburgh Steelers will have to do everything in their power to keep Mason Rudolph under contract beyond the 2023 season. He signed a one-year deal in May and will likely have plenty of demand for his services in 2024. While he may not be deemed starter-worthy — unless he knocks the socks off in the postseason — he’ll at least have a chance to go in and compete. That’s not a guarantee in Pittsburgh.
It certainly doesn’t seem like it right now, but the starting gig will be Kenny Pickett‘s job to lose come training camp. Unless Mike Tomlin suddenly changes his stubborn ways, there won’t be a quarterback competition. If there is, it’ll be similar to what we saw (didn’t see) between Mitch Trubisky, Pickett and Rudolph in 2022: All lip service.
Only it’s a foregone conclusion that Trubisky won’t be in the mix this year.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti predicts that Trubisky will be given his walking papers prior to when his $1 million roster bonus kicks in in March. With that, he sees Rudolph inking another one-year deal to the tune of $2.5 million to back Pickett up.
“Kenny Pickett carries a fully guaranteed two years, $4.6M, and should regain his starting gig next spring,” Ginnitti wrote. “2024 will be a pivotal year for the future of Pickett in Pitt. Mitchell Trubisky holds a non-guaranteed two years, $11.25M (incredibly).”
My feeling is that it’ll take more than $2.5 million to keep Rudolph in the Pittsburgh saddle. He doesn’t require developing to the point that Pickett still does and has outperformed both the second-year QB and the former first-round pick.
As much as the Steelers could use Rudolph as an insurance policy for when Pickett inevitably gets hurt, he deserves better — personally and professionally — than how Pittsburgh has treated him over the years.
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