Mason Rudolph said he was “jealous” about Pittsburgh‘s new quarterback environment after Wednesday’s training camp practice. However, it threw bad light on former head coach Mike Tomlin’s regime, which lacked a proper quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger. A Pittsburgh host refused to hold back.
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“What Rudolph said, that’s more truth than it is ripping Tomlin,” Mark Madden said on 105.9 The X. “McCarthy is a quarterback’s guy and a real coach. Tomlin was a CEO who just cared about 9-8, close games and defense. Didn’t know quarterback, so didn’t care about quarterback.
McCarthy is obviously a better coach for quarterbacks and provides a better space for quarterbacks. That’s all Rudolph said. If it kind of is a backhanded slap at Tomlin, well, certainly very much deserved it.”
McCarthy announced Wednesday that Rudolph and Aaron Rodgers will sit out Friday’s preseason game against the New York Jets, with Will Howard and Drew Allar getting the reps instead. The decision left many with doubts, and Rudolph answered them upfront.
“I’m very aware that the fanbase is starved for a franchise QB,” Rudolph said. “People want to have hope for the future beyond this year. We’ve got two great QBs who are young and progressing. I really am jealous of the structure they have had and this program and this QB-grooming system the way that Coach McCarthy has done it because I feel that they have made a lot of strides.”
Rudolph never mentioned Tomlin by name. He didn’t have to. The implication was clear to everyone who followed the Steelers through the post-Ben Roethlisberger years. Madden put it bluntly.
“McCarthy is a quarterback’s guy and a real coach. Tomlin was a CEO who just cared about nine-and-eight close games and defense. Didn’t know quarterback, so didn’t care about quarterback. McCarthy is obviously a better coach for quarterbacks and provides a better space for quarterbacks.”
Mason Rudolph has spent seven of his eight NFL seasons in Pittsburgh, playing under offensive coordinators Randy Fichtner, Matt Canada and Arthur Smith without having a dedicated quarterback coach in his first two years. Rudolph described the structure as “free-for-all” for a while. So far in his career, he has properly started only twice: once for the Steelers, and once for the Tennessee Titans. He came back to Pittsburgh on a two-year contract last year.
Rudolph looks set to be the No. 2 quarterback, according to Andrew Fillipponi, after Mike McCarthy rested the QB for the Jets game. The coach told the press that he was already very impressed by what he saw from Rudolph.
In the preseason opener against the Green Bay Packers, he completed 10 of 11 passes for 93 yards before Will Howard and Allar took over. Howard went 7-for-9 for 86 yards, while Allar completed 10 of 13 passes for 153 yards and three total touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s 28-9 victory.
With the Steelers now openly investing in the development of their next generation of quarterbacks, Rudolph’s roster spot looks secure. His comments about the new structure and what they implied about the old one will linger in Pittsburgh well into the regular season.