Mason Rudolph not buying Mike Tomlin quote about his role

Aug 12, 2021; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph (2) runs off the field against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Mason Rudolph has been the third quarterback on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster all season, with Mitchell Trubisky and Kenny Pickett trading places as starter and backup depending on health and performance. Despite that, coach Mike Tomlin has seemingly tried to give Rudolph a bit of confidence with Pickett’s health in question and Rudolph potentially needed.

Tomlin opened the door for Rudolph to potentially get some reps in practice this week and described Trubisky and Rudolph as “2 and 2A” on the Pittsburgh depth chart. Rudolph did not seem to be feeling it, though, when asked if he felt that Tomlin’s quote accurately described the situation.

Mason Rudolph with the line of the year when asked if he feels he and Mitch Trubisky are 2 and 2A, as Mike Tomlin indicated: "I feel like I've been inactive."

— Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) December 14, 2022

“I feel like I’ve been inactive,” Rudolph said.

It’s easy to see why Rudolph is not buying the narrative. Tomlin can praise Rudolph as much as he wants, but the bottom line is that Rudolph has been third on the depth chart all year. Though he ostensibly had a shot to compete for the starting job in training camp, he was never favored, and his name came up in trade rumors toward the end of preseason.

Rudolph is an unremarkable 5-4-1 in 10 career starts, and few would argue that he is a legitimate NFL starter. Still, no matter what Tomlin says, his role in 2022 has spoken for itself.