Wham. Thud.
Whack.
What the heck just happened? Yeah, all hell broke loose.
And with that moment on that crazy Thursday night almost one year ago to the day --- it happened Nov. 14, 2019 --- I wonder if the progression of Mason Rudolph's life as a professional football player was changed forever?
Maybe and maybe not. Who knows? But what I do know is that when Cleveland Browns star Myles Garrett ripped Rudolph's helmet off and then in what seemed like a scene from some movie assaulted the quarterback with his own headgear, it set Rudolph down a road --- for me at least --- where he needs to work back and show that he's not timid.
None of this has been fair to Rudolph, especially the baseless and ridiculous claims by Garrett that the ugly incident was somehow tinged in race. It was awful, it was all ridiculous and, as pointed out by Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin in an interview with ESPN, was reckless in so many ways by Garrett.
But here we are and I'm wondering almost a year later --- was the trajectory of what Rudolph could have been for the Pittsburgh Steelers changed forever that evening?
Going into that game some (well, maybe just me) had Rudolph pegged as a possibility to take over the quarterback position once Ben Roethlisberger retired. Rudolph could stand at the ready for a few years, learn under Big Ben and when it came time be inserted to command the offense and while there will undeniably be a dropoff when Big No. 7 retires, at least Rudolph could have offered a bit of continuity and perhaps the raw talent coupled with the system knowledge to keep the Steelers train roaring down the track.
Now? I kind of have my doubts.
Did you see Rudolph against Dallas when he was pressed into duty against the Cowboys this past weekend? I sure did. I'm generally high on the guy but there is no other way to explain it: He looked timid and reticent.
The guy on the other side with a far shallower pedigree (Garrett Gilbert or whatever his name was) appeared much more polished and much less nervous. Rudolph, at least as it beamed into my living room, gave the impression the situation was a bit big and he didn't want to be anywhere near grabbing the controls of an NFL offense.
It was strange.
So too is this: With all the uncertainty happening around Ben Roethlisberger headed into the Bengals game (you know, knees and COVID and such) there have been contingency plans hatched in the minds of fans. I guess, in what shouldn't be a shocker, many are calling for Josh Dobbs to start over Rudolph if it comes to a backup needing to play.
Wow.
The same Josh Dobbs the Steelers shuttled off to Jacksonville.
The same Josh Dobbs who has completed exactly six passes in his NFL career.
The same Josh Dobbs who has thrown precisely zero touchdowns.
Yes, him.
Many Steelers fans appear to want Dobbs over a guy the Steelers drafted in the third round and has four 200+ yard passing games to his credit. But all of Rudolph's success --- save for the flash he showed against the Jets last season before he was injured --- came before he was bonked in the head by that helmet swung by Garrett.
I just wonder, man. I just wonder.
Could that night --- and the subsequent fallout --- have changed the way Rudolph approaches things? Does he still go after it with as much tenacity?
I don't know if he does or doesn't. But I'll tell you this: I can't shout down the people who say what Garrett did changed Rudolph forever. I can't shout them down until he goes out on the field and looks comfortable again.
