Tuesday morning, NFL Network reporter Aditi Kinkhabwala tweeted that new Steelers QB Mitch Trubisky was doing something a little out of the ordinary.
We’ve heard of guys getting with their receivers, offensive line, even running backs before in the offseason. But inviting the other QB’s on the roster over your house? Especially when you’re in competition with them (however real that competition actually is)? Virtually unheard of.
As I saw that, I thought to myself…Mason Rudolph might be totally screwed.
Not because Trubisky is going to gain some kind of leg up in on-field performance by hosting a meet and greet and tossing the ball around with his new teammates.
No, I’m talking about the court of public opinion.
Every analyst, writer and Bears/Bills consumer that I’ve read or heard talk about Trubisky has given a common theme. While his actual QB play has been all over the place, he’s easy to root for and is a great teammate. He’s showing that already with this house hang out.
He may not end up being anything but a bridge quarterback. He could play poorly enough that he’s in a legitimate battle with Mason Rudolph for playing time. But he’ll endear himself to fans as long as he doesn’t totally stink.
Why? Likeability and newness.
Trubisky will most likely say the right things. He’ll be cordial with the media, he may take the blame upon himself when times are hard, and his teammates will support him through struggles. The "intangibles" of leadership will probably be there. Everyone likes and respects a good leader in sports.
He’ll also have the advantage of being new.
We’ve gotten a front row seat here in Pittsburgh to Mason Rudolph’s shortcomings. We’ve experienced every second, every letdown. He’s done it all in a black and gold uniform. Trubisky has had similar NFL struggles, but we don’t know the intimate details of those as well. We haven’t yet experienced going into a game expecting to win and being gravely disappointed with a loss because of subpar quarterback play from Trubisky.
We've lived it with Rudolph. Because of that, he’s not exactly the most popular player on the team. He’s already facing an uphill battle to try to get fans to believe in him and support him on a large scale.
You throw in a quarterback who’s likeable, seems like a good guy, is all about the team, shows great leadership skills and endears himself to the locker room? Rudolph may never shed that unfortunate label of disappointment and frustration.
In terms of how fans view him, Trubisky’s intangibles might further sink Rudolph into the depths of fans’ despair.
Unless Mitch totally bombs on the field, of course. Then we’ll be looking to Rudolph to find some kind of cape and save the day. But as long as the performance is at least equal to Mason’s, it looks like Mitch will quickly gain the fan advantage.