There’s a rising degree of help in Pittsburgh for them to proceed with Mason Rudolph because the beginning quarterback on the expense of signing Aaron Rodgers. Positive, there are in all probability some that would like the Pittsburgh Steelers to have a better draft decide and see Rudolph as their ticket there, however there are lots others who legitimately assume Rudolph is best at this level of their careers.
Former QB Chris Simms strongly pushed again on that concept in an look on Professional Soccer Speak final week.
“I chortle as a result of I do nonetheless hear folks on TV go, ‘I don’t know, perhaps Mason Rudolph can be each bit pretty much as good as Aaron Rodgers. He completed the 12 months fairly robust, fairly good final 12 months.’ I received, what? You imply when Tennessee couldn’t win a recreation on the finish of the 12 months?” Simms stated through a PFT video on YouTube. “Are you speaking about 9 touchdowns, 9 interceptions? Throw the ball three ft each play? Like come one.”
Rudolph went from the best level of his profession in 2023 with three straight wins to get the Steelers into the playoffs to one of many lowest factors. He couldn’t beat out Will Levis to open the 12 months and went 1-4 within the 5 video games he received to start out in Tennessee. He had the worst interception price of his profession on 3.9 % of his dropbacks and his adjusted web yards per passing try plummeted from 9.20 with the Steelers to five.16 with the Titans.
How a lot of that’s the Titans being the worst workforce within the league? It’s exhausting to say, however a beginning caliber quarterback ought to have the ability to string collectively a greater particular person efficiency regardless.
To be honest, Aaron Rodgers isn’t precisely coming off his finest 12 months both. However he did some issues down the stretch in 2025 that appeared like shades of the previous pre-injury Rodgers that everyone is used to during the last twenty years.
“It’s revisionist historical past. It’s stomping on Rodgers perhaps whereas he’s down proper now,” Simms stated. “We noticed Rodgers play at a [high] degree on the finish of the 12 months, although it didn’t imply something. I do know you and me sat within the viewing room [saying], ‘Whoa man, Rodgers, whoa, whoa.’ Throwing it downfield at Davante Adams. …He’s in a special stratosphere, even at this level of his profession, than Mason Rudolph.”
What’s a safer factor to wager on if you’re the Steelers? A 41-year-old Corridor of Famer that is likely one of the finest to ever do it that confirmed some glimpses of promising play in 2024 or a 30-year-old participant that has solely began 18 common season video games in his profession with middling success?
There’s a cause the Steelers have put all the things on maintain to attend practically three months on Rodgers’ choice. They wouldn’t undergo that bother with one of many extra controversial sports activities figures if the juice wasn’t well worth the squeeze. And we actually wouldn’t be speaking about curiosity in Kirk Cousins if that they had full religion in Rudolph.
