I don’t think Mason Rudolph will get hit in the head with his own football helmet and accused of uttering a racial slur at an opposing player on Sunday.
I mean, I don’t think it will happen.
But, who knows, after all they are the Cleveland Browns.
Doesn’t appear they have much pride, virtue, or integrity after that fiasco the last time Rudolph commanded a Steelers team at the stadium alongside the big lake.
There was the incident — then there was the subsequent doubling, tripling, and quadrupling down.
I think it was quadrupling by the Browns.
I don’t know; I lost count.
All I do know is Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin stepped in on national television and called the entire thing hogwash and called Myles Garret a liar.
And Tomlin was very clear about those things.
The incident itself was ugly and unpleasant and — in my estimation at least — rattled Rudolph to a point where he never fully recovered and showed some gun-shy characteristics thereafter.
Funny thing is, as Rudolph now takes a Steelers team playing for nothing into Cleveland against a Browns team playing for everything, he might be the lone Pittsburgh Steeler on Sunday who has his future tied to his performance in this particular game.
Yep, that’s right — this one is gigantic for Mason Rudolph.
Or from my vantage, the Steelers’ brass should make it as such.
It isn’t too great to saddle Rudolph with the task that he should be playing for his long-term future with the club.
To wit, many would agree there have been a few flashes from Rudolph.
He has been good at times.
He has, however, largely underwhelmed to this point.
It would be a stretch right now to think he’s in a place where the organization truly feels confident he could fully take over when Roethlisberger retires.
That is precisely why Sunday is so darn important to Rudolph.
The Steelers should let him know — even as he’s playing alongside some backups — that if he plays well, he stays; if he doesn’t play well, he’s in serious jeopardy of being in his final season with the club.
That should be spelled out and laid out in clear terms to him before he takes a single snap this weekend.
Cleveland is a team in the throes of combat for a postseason slot, and their effort should be at a ramped-up level.
In short, Rudolph will get their best.
I don’t know if they will beat him over the head with his own helmet, but they will be trying to get to him.
There will be no more stern test or simulation for a big game than this one he’s about to play.
So I don’t care who needs to deliver the message.
Doesn’t matter if it is Kevin Colbert, Mike Tomlin, or someone else in the Steelers’ administration.
There should be a missive conveyed to Rudolph: play well and remain a Steeler, play poorly and Dobbs is the backup of the future and/or we are drafting someone else.
That should happen.
That needs to happen.
Mason Rudolph is a big boy — let’s see what he does with some internal pressure on him.