Whether you like him or not, Mason Rudolph has been getting the short end of the stick since he was drafted by the Steelers in the third-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Words that continue to haunt him to this day is when then general manager Kevin Colbert said they had a first-round grade on Rudolph.
Speaking to The Fan, after the pick in 2018, then starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger said:
I was surprised when they took a quarterback, because I thought that maybe in the third-round, you know, you can get some really good football players that can help this team now. And nothing against Mason. I think he's a great football player. I don't know him personally, but I'm sure he's a great kid.
I just don't know how backing up or being the third guy, who knows where he's going to fall on the depth chart, helps us win now. But, that's not my decision to make. That's on the coaches and the GM and owner, and those kinds of things. So, if they feel like he can help our team, so be it, but I was a little surprised.
Roethlisberger also said:
Well, I don't think I'll need to now that he's said that he doesn't need me. So if he asks me a question, I might have to just point to the playbook, you know."
Rudolph's comments right after being drafted here that it wasn't Big Ben's "job to teach me anything." That's what Roethlisberger was responding to at the time.
In the following years, the two seemed to barely talk to each other and there appeared to be an animosity between the two, up until Roethlisberger's retirement this past season.
During the 2018 season, Rudolph served at the third-string quarterback behind Roethlisberger and Josh Dobbs. Rudolph didn't play at all in 2018.
From there things got worse for Rudolph.
After Roethlisberger went down with a season-ending elbow injury, Rudolph came in Week 2 of the 2019 season.
It was a loss in the game he came in relief for against the Seattle Seahawks and he also lost his first start against the San Francisco 49ers 24-20.
He won his next game against the Cincinnati Bengals but suffered a concussion the next week against the Baltimore Ravens.
After returning from concussion protocol, Rudolph got into an infamous fight with Browns defensive end Myles Garett.
Garrett ripped off Rudolph's helmet during the Week 11 game between the Steelers and Browns in Cleveland.
Rudolph got up off the ground and went after Garrett who swung Rudolph's own helmet at him.
Garrett claimed Rudolph called him the "n-word", but Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin came to his defense and that allegation has never been proven, but it was another blemish for Rudolph.
A week later, Rudolph was benched in favor of Devlin "Duck" Hodges, who started the next three games before coming into the game against the New York Jets in Week 15 before suffering another injury, this time a shoulder issue.
Rudolph started one game the next year, a loss to the Cleveland Browns in the last game of the season, going 22 for 39 for 324 yards, two touchdowns and one interception.
Starting in one game for the Steelers in 2021, Rudolph struggled against the winless Detroit Lions. The game ended in a 16-16 tie.
He went 30 for 50 with 242 yards, one touchdown and one interception.
Then this past offseason, the Steelers signed free agent Mitch Trubisky and drafted Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round.
While it was said there would be a quarterback competition, there really never appeared to be one with Mitch Trubisky running the first-team offense for a majority of the preseason.
Rudolph started Training Camp as the second-team quarterback, but in recent weeks had been running third-team with Kenny Pickett QB2.
But when the first depth chart of the regular season came out, it appeared there might be some hope for Rudolph, he was second behind Trubisky.
But it wasn't to be. On Tuesday Mike Tomlin and the Steelers corrected the depth chart, pointing to a clerical error.
Pickett was indeed the second-team quarterback and Rudolph went down to third.
Rudolph won't get a helmet for the team's first game of the season against the Bengals in Cincinnati.
He's the most tenured quarterback in the room. That doesn't mean he should be the starter, he shouldn't. He's played well, but not well enough to jump Trubisky and Pickett.
To Rudolph's credit he has been professional the entire time through all the drama, but how much more can he take?
With a base salary of $3 million and the Steelers wanting better than a late-round draft pick, there's no reason for the Steelers to trade Rudolph unless someone overpays for him. Looks like he's stuck, for now.
