The Pittsburgh Steelers headed into Week 16 with their playoff hopes on the line. Riding a three-game winning streak, the Steelers’ once-strong hold on a playoff spot disappeared, as they would now need a lot of help to snag one of the Wild Card spots in the AFC.
The first order of business to claim one of those spots was to win their own game. Pittsburgh was at home, hosting the Cincinnati Bengals in a must-win affair down to their third-string quarterback.
Mason Rudolph had been tabbed as the team’s starter, replacing the ineffective Mitchell Trubisky. With their starter, Kenny Pickett, still nursing an ankle injury suffered in Week 13 against the Arizona Cardinals, head coach Mike Tomlin opted to turn to Rudolph against the Bengals.
NFL News & Rumors: Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
It turned out to be the right decision as Rudolph had a huge game. He completed 17-of-27 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns, making his first start since the 2021 season. Most importantly, he led the Steelers to a 34-11 victory, keeping their playoff hopes alive.
It was Rudolph’s first win since 2019, his rookie season in the NFL, and it could not have come at a better time. Will he be back on the field in Week 17 when the Steelers head on the road to take on the Seattle Seahawks? In the opinion of former star Ben Roethlisberger, the answer should be yes.
During a recent episode of his podcast, Footbahlin, Roethlisberger revealed that he would go with Rudolph again in Week 17. A big reason for that is because the future Hall of Famer believes the team needs to protect Pickett from himself and make sure he doesn’t return to the field until he is 100 percent healthy.
“I think you go with Mason,” Roethlisberger said. “Listen, Kenny’s your future. Kenny is your guy. I think you need to protect him a little bit, too. Obviously, you’d like to get him on the field and play, but if he’s not one hundred percent, why not give Mason a shot? What he did this week – 34 points, threw for 200, almost 300 yards – seemed to kind of put a little spark into the team. I’d stay with him for another week.”
NFL News & Rumors: Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger, Kenny Pickett, Mason Rudolph, Pittsburgh Steelers Updates
Pickett returned to practice last week in a limited capacity, as he wasn’t ruled out for the game until the final practice day of the week. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network is reporting that Pickett will be cleared to return to action in Week 17, which will leave Tomlin with a decision to make.
Will Tomlin turn back to their starter in Pickett, who has been up and down this season? Or will he stick with Rudolph for at least one more week in a must-win game against a hot Seahawks team also fighting for their playoff lives? It won’t be an easy decision, but Tomlin will go with whoever he believes puts the team in the best position to help the team win on Sunday afternoon.
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