They said they wouldn’t draft a quarterback.
They didn’t.
They said they wouldn’t sign a veteran.
They haven’t.
Dating back to December, the top brass in the Steelers front office has repeatedly said that they are behind quarterback Mason Rudolph as the backup to Ben Roethlisberger in 2021.
The organization continued to put their trust in both Roethlisberger returning and Rudolph’s ability to be his No. 2 when, for the second consecutive year, they went without drafting a quarterback.
I was part of the fanbase that wanted the Steelers to draft a QB early; stash him on the bench behind Big Ben and Rudolph while he soaks up knowledge and develops. When Roethlisberger retires at the end of next season, I truly believe they’ll regret not having gone that route because Rudolph is not the long-term answer.
Unfortunately, with the fewest number of draft picks since 2003, they didn’t have the luxury to draft a player that would likely not start until 2022.
With that being said, Kevin Colbert has been a general manager for 20 years for good reason. He knows what’s best for the organization; not Steelers fans. All we can do is cross our fingers that Roethlisberger plays well and stays healthy. And if he doesn’t, hope that Rudolph can do enough to keep the team from falling apart.
Rudolph went 5-3 as a starter last season with a QB rating of 82. He completed 62 percent of his passes with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions in 10 games played.
Considering he was thrown into the fire, those stats aren’t awful. Does Rudolph have the makings of a franchise QB? No. But, in a pinch, the team will be counting on him to manage the game.
Not what the Steelers wanted when they traded up to get Rudolph in 2018 but what’s done is done.
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