At this point, it seems safe to say that Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett has lost his starting job to Mason Rudolph.
Pickett suffered an ankle injury back in Week 13 and had to undergo surgery to repair the issue. However, it wasn’t a major injury, and he was expected to return later in the season.
Well, now, Pickett seems healthy enough to play, but he has been supplanted by Rudolph, who has led the Steelers to two straight wins.
“Listen, like I just said, it was one man’s misfortune, another’s opportunity,” Pickett said, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN. “He came in, he’s playing well and that’s why they’re going to roll with him. So we’ll see how it plays out. I got to be ready to go in case we have to, whatever it takes to get to the playoffs, it’s all hands on deck, so I’ll be ready to go if need be.”
Initially, Mitchell Trubisky stepped in to relieve Pickett, but after Trubisky struggled in a pair of starts, Pittsburgh turned to Rudolph, who hadn’t started a game since 2021.
As for what becoming Rudolph’s backup in the critical final stages of the season means for Pickett’s future? He understandably sidestepped the question when asked.
“It’s been so day-by-day, week-by-week,” Pickett said. “We’ll figure that out when the time comes.”
In 12 starts this season, Kenny Pickett has thrown for 2,070 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions while completing 62 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 81.4.
Needless to say, his play has not been inspiring, and he has not shown much progression since his rookie campaign last year when he totaled 2,404 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 picks while completing 63 percent of his throws and registering a 76.7 passer rating across 13 games.
Meanwhile, in three appearances and two starts in 2023, Mason Rudolph has thrown for 567 yards and two touchdowns while completing 68.5 percent of his passes and recording a passer rating of 115.3. Most recently, he went 18-for-24 with 274 yards in a Week 17 win over the Seattle Seahawks.
The Steelers are 9-7 and will battle the Baltimore Ravens this Sunday. They need a win and some help in order to secure a Wild Card berth in the AFC playoffs.
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