Should Steelers Seek Trade for Mason Rudolph?

The Pittsburgh Steelers have presented their quarterback competition as a three-way battle between Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph and Kenny Pickett, and while one of those three players will certainly grab hold of the starting role over the final two weeks of the preseason, what happens to the others isn’t so simple.

Trubisky is currently the heavy favorite to be the Week 1 starter according to betting markets, and has taken the vast majority of the reps with the first team since he first arrived in Pittsburgh. That could leave one of the other two without a helmet on game days, and while the Steelers would probably be OK with that, other teams could come calling about the availability of Rudolph.

There is already speculation that the Detroit Lions could have interest in Rudolph, and as NFL teams play their final two preseason games, there will certainly be enough attrition at the quarterback position to cause some teams to seek external help.

So should the Steelers pull the trigger on a Rudolph trade? As usual, it depends on the offer.

Rudolph should have a good bit of value at this juncture. He’s a serviceable fill-in starter and a very good backup, two things that most NFL teams lack. He also comes relatively cheaply and with just one season of salary obligations attached.

There is an outside chance the Steelers could get draft pick compensation if Rudolph leaves via free agency, and they really don’t seem to need the $2 million in cap space his departure would save them.

So they shouldn’t give him away. Remember, Josh Dobbs, who has never had as much arm talent or NFL experience as Rudolph has, fetched a fifth-round pick a few years ago at this time. If they get an offer better than that, they should probably be tempted to make a deal.

Remember when it looked like the New York Jets were losing Zack Wilson last week? It’s easy to envision another team going through a similar situation, looking at their backups and seeing Rudolph as being a far superior option. Here’s another one: Matt Stafford has been dealing with a nagging arm injury and the world champs could be looking at going into the season with John Wolford as a starter.

Another hurdle needed to overcome is whether the Steelers feel Pickett is ready to be the backup. He’s been getting more and more time with the second team and played well in his preseason debut, so it seems like it. But the Steelers are only two years removed from a catastrophe at quarterback in 2019, so they’re not going to part with experienced depth easily.

If a team gets desperate, the Steelers could make a good deal for Rudolph, but don’t be surprised if they stand pat, either. Depth has its own value, and while Trubisky and Pickett have looked good through training camp and the preseason, they aren’t sure things, either.