Mason Rudolph will start as quarterback for the struggling Steelers in Week 15 against the Bengals.
Just in time for Christmas week, the Pittsburgh Steelers will be making another quarterback change.
Mason Rudolph will be the starting quarterback for Saturday’s Week 16 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, coach Mike Tomlin announced Monday.
However, Rudolph’s starting role is predicated on Kenny Pickett not returning from injury this week.
“For me, standing here today, it’s Mason Rudolph with the ball,” Tomlin said.
Rudolph replaces Mitch Trubisky, who started the last two games for Pittsburgh after Pickett suffered a severe ankle sprain that required surgery.
Since then, the Steelers have lost three straight and been eliminated from the AFC playoffs, so they never looked like a team with any hope of making the playoffs.
Trubisky had struggled the past two weeks against the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts when Rudolph replaced Trubisky in the fourth quarter of Saturday’s 30-13 loss to Indianapolis.
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Even though it was announced this week that Rudolph would take over the starting role, Tomlin said the team is leaving open the possibility that Pickett could return this week.
When the injury occurred, the team was optimistic that the 2022 first-round draft pick would be able to return this season and make the season-ending playoffs.
Mason Rudolph NFL Career The 2018 NFL Draft third-round pick has spent his entire career in Pittsburgh, and Saturday’s game against Cincinnati will be Rudolph’s first start since November 2021.
Since then, he has only appeared in two competitive games.
Season games, including Saturday’s substitute appearance.
Rudolph has started 10 games in his NFL career, including eight during the 2019 season when he filled in for the injured Ben Roethlisberger.
Rudolph threw for 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, and 2,369 yards in 18 games during his career.
