Mason Rudolph left out to dry in preseason finale

Mason Rudolph gets to play the waiting game now about his NFL future.

In the 2021 offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers signed quarterback Mason Rudolph to a one-year contract extension, assuring he would be on the roster for the 2022 season. It also gave him a nice raise, paying him just over $4 million for the upcoming season. But after signing Mitch Trubisky as a free agent and drafting Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh has turned its collective back on Rudolph and proved it on Sunday.

Head coach Mike Tomlin made it clear Rudolph, despite a very good preseason was not in the running for the starting job. The lion’s share of snaps went to Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett with Rudolph getting a bit of token work at the end. Rudolph went 0-for-3 to finish the game.

With final cuts on Thursday, the future for Rudolph seems unclear. He’s definitely deserves better than to be the No. 3 quarterback on the Steelers, spending the season inactive on game days. But if Pittsburgh wanted to trade him, they should have used him more in the preseason to showcase his skills.

What will the Steelers do with Rudolph this season? Let us know your guesses in the comments below.

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Should we trust the word of head coach Mike Tomlin?

Two Steelers starters were hurt on Sunday but Tomlin says it is fine.

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Two Pittsburgh Steelers starters suffered injuries on Sunday against the Detroit Lions. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson injured his shoulder laying out to make a catch and linebacker T.J. Watt hurt his knee when he took a cut block.

Hea coach Mike Tomlin told sideline reporter Evan Washburn at halftime neither injury was considered serious, going so far to say if this were a regular-season game, both would be back in.

But should we believe him? Afterall, Tomlin led everyone to believe throughout training camp and the preseason running back Najee Harris got his foot stepped on and that’s why he wasn’t playing. But Harris let the cat out of the bag after Sunday’s game when he admitted he actually suffered a Lisfranc injury to his foot. An injury like this can take weeks to heal and seriously limit Harris on the field.

The half truth from Tomlin brings his comments about Watt and Johnson into question. Are these guys really fine or will be find out later the injuries were much worse? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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Lions CB tells Mike Tomlin he’s his favorite coach

Mike Tomlin is loved by players all over the NFL.

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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is beloved by his players. His guys all praise him as a coach and a man and would run through a wall for him. But Tomlin’s fan club extends well beyond just Steelers players.

After Sunday’s win over the Detroit Lions, Tomlin was out congratulating many of the Lions players and wishing them well on the upcoming season. One player in particular, rookie cornerback Chase Lucas, let Tomlin know he is his favorite coach.

I’m not sure how Lions head coach Dan Campbell feels about this but it really does show just how revered Tomlin is among the NFL. The fanbase is firmly divided on Tomlin with many thinking his lack of playoff success over the last decade should have cost him his job many times over.

Let us know in the comments what you think of Tomlin as a head coach and what record will he lead the Steelers to this season.

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Steelers HC Mike Tomlin reassures fans over injuries

Mike Tomlin said both guys would still be in the game if it were the regular season.

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The Pittsburgh Steelers saw two starters leave the game against the Detroit Lions in the first half with injuries. Wide receiver Diontae Johnson left with a shoulder injury and linebacker T.J. Watt suffered a knee injury. The extent of the injuries wasn’t known but head coach Mike Tomlin put everyone’s mind at east at halftime.

Tomlin spot to sideline reporter Evan Washburn at halftime and gave a great update on both players.

“If this is a regular season game, we may see them back in this game,” Tomlin said. “There’s no long term concern at the moment for T.J. Watt or Diontae Johnson.”

Pittsburgh kicks off their regular season on September 11 against the Cincinnati Bengals.

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Steelers LB T.J. Watt leaves game with knee injury

Steelers LB T.J. Watt suffered a knee injury in Sunday’s preseason game.

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It didn’t make any sense why Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt was still in the game in the second quarter. Watt has nothing to prove and no spot to earn. But head coach Mike Tomlin left Watt in perhaps one play too long as he appeared to suffer a knee injury and is out for the rest of the game per the television broadcast.

Watt got hit low on a cut blocks and went down awkwardly. It was clear there was something wrong and he eventually took himself off the field and headed to the locker room.

Tomlin has completely flipped his preseason philosophy on its head this year and is playing his starters heavily in this final third game against the Detroit Lions. There are some positions, like quarterback and offensive line where big decisions need to be made but there was no reason Watt was still on the field.

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Steelers WR Diontae Johnson suffers shoulder injury in preseason

Pittsburgh Steelers WR Diontae Johnson is out for the game with a shoulder injury.

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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Diontae Johnson made one of the prettiest plays you will see early in this week’s preseason game. Unfortunately, in his effort to lay out and make the 38-yard catch from Mitch Trubisky, Johnson injured his shoulder and is out for the game.

Johnson was on the field because he missed a good chunk of team activities during his hold-in. Johnson got his big new contract but needed reps to get on the same page with the Steelers quarterbacks.

The Steelers were already playing without Chase Claypool who has been working through a shoulder injury of his own. Pittsburgh has a deep group of receivers but cannot afford to have the top two hurt with the first game of the regular season less than two weeks away.

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Who should be the Steelers backup running back?

Vote for who the Steelers backup running back should be.

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One depth chart the Pittsburgh Steelers have yet to sort out in the preseason is running back. Najee Harris’ spot at the start isn’t in question but the backs behind him are very much unsettled.

When the first depth chart came out, Benny Snell Jr. was put as the No. 2 and Anthony McFarland Jr. the No. 3. Rookie Jaylen Warren is currently listed at the No. 4 back.

An argument can be made that over the course of the preseason this group should be reversed with Warren the backup and Snell at the bottom of the depth chart, if he makes the team at all. The Steelers have rushed for 209 yards in two games with McFarland leading the team with 57 of those. Warren is second on the team with 39 yards.

With how questionable the offensive line is, the Steelers would be wise to use a variety of backs and try and keep the mileage low on Harris. But who will be that guy? Cast your vote and let us know.

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Steelers vs Lions: How to watch, listen and stream

Watch the Steelers figure our who their starting quarterback is this week against the Lions.

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Here is everything you need to know so you can watch, listen to or stream this week’s Pittsburgh Steelers game. It is Week Two of the 2022 NFL preseason. Pittsburgh wraps up the preseason at home against the Detroit Lions. The big question for the Steelers is who will be the starting quarterback in the regular season and this is the game to decide it.

Game information:

Detroit Lions @ Pittsburgh Steelers

Kickoff: Sunday, August 28 at 4:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Acrusiure Stadium

Weather: Clear with temps in the 80s

Broadcast:

National television: CBS

Announcers: Play-by-play Greg Gumble, analyst Charles Robinson, sideline reporter Evan Washburn

Online: You can also tune in online with Paramount Plus, NFL+ and FuboTV (try it for free).

Radio: Westwood One and Steeler Nation Radio will have the game, as well as WDVE 102.5 FM & WBGG 970, AM local.

You can also follow the game with us @TheSteelersWire and of course here on Steelers Wire with our live updates during the game, along with highlights of all the key moments from this week’s game. Join us straight after the final whistle for more in-depth coverage, injury updates, and analysis of all the action.

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4 Steelers potision battles coming down to the wire

The Steelers roster has several positions still undecided this week.

On Sunday the Pittsburgh Steelers play their final preseason game and this roster is still very much in a state of flux. Multiple roster spots, both starters and reserves are in flux and this last game is going to go a long way toward sorting it out. Here are four position battles that are coming right down to the final snaps.