Steelers' Mike Tomlin Names Mason Rudolph Starting Quarterback For Last Regular Season Game In Week 18

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been able to keep their playoff hopes alive over the last two weeks. Now, they will have to defeat their AFC North rival, Baltimore Ravens, in Week 18 in order to have a realistic chance at getting a Wild Card spot. Now that the holiday season is essentially over, that doesn't mean the Steelers are going away from [Mason] Rudolph. 

The team made the transition from Mitch Trubisky to Rudolph in Week 16, and it's led to back-to-back impressive victories. After Sunday's win over the Seattle Seahawks, Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin wasn't willing to name a starter for Week 18 just yet. In his press conference on Monday, Tomlin officially named Rudolph the starting quarterback for the regular season finale against the Ravens.

"I think [Kenny] Pickett's availability is less in question this week, I anticipate him being available to practice. With that being said, we're gonna leave the ball in Mason Rudolph's hands. He's done a good job, and we've done a good job in the most recent two weeks. We've taken care of the ball, he's taken care of the ball. We've scored points at a rate in which we hadn't done to this point this year. With the urgency of the moment and because of those reasons, we're gonna leave the ball in his hands."

As Tomlin stated, the offense has had a ton of success in the two weeks that Rudolph has taken over. They have moved the ball at will, which has been able to open up the run game as well. The offense has put up back-to-back 30-point performances, something that the group didn't show any signs of early in the year. In his two starts, Rudolph has thrown for 564 passing yards and two touchdowns.

Perhaps most importantly, he hasn't thrown an interception, which was something that Trubisky struggled with. Now it seems as if Pickett is indeed healthy enough to play, which was speculated to be the case in Week 17, but the coaching staff is riding with the hot hand. At this point, despite the fact that Pickett is still only in his second season, this is the correct decision.

Do The Steelers Have A QB Controversy For 2024?

In another must-win contest, the staff has to go with the quarterback that gives them the best chance to win and that's Rudolph. Tomlin was asked if this means Rudolph would be the starter if the team makes the postseason, but he refused to give a definitive answer there. If Rudolph leads the team to yet another victory in the final regular season game, one would have to think the team couldn't go away from him in the playoffs.

Right after the dismissal of former Offensive Coordinator, Matt Canada, Pickett had arguably the best performance of his career. Unfortunately, he suffered an ankle injury a week later that required surgery and forced him to miss legitimate time. In the days leading up to the Seahawks game, Pickett seemed a bit frustrated that he had lost his starting job. Sometimes, that's just how things happen in the NFL and Rudolph ran with his opportunity.

In a matter of a few weeks, the veteran quarterback has become a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. It raises legitimate questions for 2024 on if Rudolph can push Pickett for the starting job. Regardless, right now, all that matters is getting a victory over the Ravens. For the Steelers, they are confident that Rudolph can do it again for them against the division rivals.

How do you think Rudolph has performed in his last two starts? Do you think he will be given a legitimate chance to win the starting job in 2024? How do you think Pickett feels now that he's healthy and will not start? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites, yinz!

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