Mason Rudolph - Is something else going on?

I’ve been wondering about why Mason Rudolph garnered absolutely zero interest around the league when he became a free agent and had to re-sign with the Steelers for the league minimum. Rudolph may not be starter material, but you cannot tell me that there are 32 backup quarterbacks who are better than he is. He was fairly well regarded coming out of Oklahoma State and was drafted in the third round by the Steelers who had a first round grade on him. The first round grade was a stretch, but the fact is that he was a quality quarterback coming out of college. When he got the opportunity to start, he had some good moments and moments where he struggled like most young quarterbacks do. He has a winning record and his TD/INT ratio is positive.

Now for my theory. When he and Myles Garrett had had their infamous fight where Garrett tried to murder him on TNF for the world to see, and then proceeded to attempt to murder his character when he met with the league office a few days later by alleging that Rudolph had called him the N word, did the NFL world believe what the racebaiter had to say? The racial tone in our world at that time was quite volatile and the liar Garrett was obviously trying to use it to his advantage and save face. Did other NFL GMs and coaches think that Rudolph would have been a liability in that regard since a significant majority of players and more and more coaches are black?

Myles Garrett has gone on to be one of the most promoted players by the national sports media. I’m not arguing that he’s a great talent but it’s almost overkill. He’s often put ahead of TJ Watt in the discussion but for the life of me I can’t figure out why. Meanwhile, Rudolph’s career is hanging by a thread and will probably be over once his one year contract with the Steelers expires.

I’m not equating Rudolph and Garrett from a talent perspective, but has Garret’s accusation cast a dark shadow over Rudolph’s head and stigmatized his career causing the NFL world to shy away from him just in case it’s true? I think that’s a distinct possibility.

 

Rudolph should be playing in the USFL

 

Interesting take on the subject. Did he do that in the heat of the moment, maybe? I too find it odd that he is not a back up QB on another NFL team. Hell, he sure comes cheap.

I sure the hell wouldn't mind making 750,000 a year to stay by the heaters on the bench.

 

Actually it appears 31 NFL GMs don’t think he is in the top 95

 

It is perplexing, that’s for sure. And you bring up an interesting point. Could his ostracism be because he actually did use a racial slur? I personally don’t think so, but that could be another theory. At any rate, there are some number two quarterbacks around the league who, IMHO, are much less talented than MR.

 

And that’s where my question comes from. Is that based on talent, or is there something else at play?

 

I’m not going with talent I’m going for lack of talent nothing more

Mason hasn’t even taken a first team snap in what 2 - 3 years

 

Something like that. Maybe it is talent, but there’s been some debate about whether or not our own backup quarterback is better than Rudolph so I’m sure if we went through the league we could find other backups who we could argue are not as good as Rudolph.

 

Purely talent (and lack thereof)
based observation of him and nothing else is why GMs would grab someone off the street rather then take a look at Rudolph. They've seen enough of him in a Steelers uniform to know hes subpar and I can't help but think the first picture in their mind that pops up displaying his arm talent is a a 10 yard spike into the ground at the feet of Ray Ray McCloud vs the 0-8 Lions at home in 2021. No poise or cool about him whatsoever. Has never won a single game that actually mattered.

 

Do you really think no other NFL player has been caught uttering a racial slur? Word about that would have gotten around among the players, if not the public.

Outside of Steelers fans, I'm not sure many people even remember the accusation, so no, I don't think that is the issue. The issue is that he isn't very good. This seems like just another attempt at making excuses for Rudolph.

 

I do think he could be a #2 on many other teams. He could very well be the starter in Minnesota with Cousins going down. Another team I think he would do well with is the Patriots with the growing displeasure with Mack Jones. The Steelers held on to him for the 2022 season because there was a real chance of him starting. Then Trubisky was brought into the mix to force him to compete, which is a good thing to make him earn it rather than just inherit it which Tomlin states: "We brought in Mitch, so we didn't do something stupid." Then of course Kenny unexpectedly falls to us in the draft. I think the main reason Mason is not on another team this year is because of the numerous QBs in the draft. Do they stick with someone who knows there system to bring along the drafted rookie if need be? I remember one Pittsburgh sports writer, I cannot remember who, stated due to the different style of play from Mason versus Mitch or Kenny, the Steelers are afraid it could create a QB controversy that could take a hit on Pickett's confidence.

 

I’m confused. Are you implying that Rudolph may have uttered a racial slur and word has gotten out among the players? If that’s the case, do you think other teams looked at that as a problem?

I don’t know, scribe, I just have a hard time believing there are 31 other backup QBs better than Rudolph. His lack of interest in the off-season was absolutely bizarre.

And this is not so much another attempt to make excuses for Rudolph as it is to continue to bring attention to the race-baiting, lying, attempted murderer, Myles Garrett.

Lastly, I’m sure Mason Rudolph remembers the accusation well. When you’ve tried to do the right things and live the right way and then have someone accuse you of that, it’s devastating and has the potential to kill a career. It was unbelievable to me how many members of the national sports media seemed to believe what Garrett said. To his credit, Mike Tomlin came strongly to his defense and I appreciated that about him.

 

It looks to me like it could be a case of black-balling.

 

That's a shame if that is the case. I've read some of Mason's social media post and he seems to be a devout Christian at heart and all-around good guy. I've stated in another post last year: "Ben is the guy you wanted the ball in his hands with two minutes left while needing a score to win. Mason is the guy you hope is at the party when your daughter needs to get home safely."

 

Yeah, but you're the only one arguing that. Clearly the Steelers feel that Trubisky is better. Clearly the other 31 teams feel their backup is better.
The thing with Garrett was long enough ago that it would all be forgotten by now. It was a giant nothing burger. Garrett said what he said, Mason denied it and it literally died. It wasn't talked about in the media much at all. I don't believe for a second there's any lingering thoughts about that incident.

When Mason played he wasn't particularly good. He also hasn't played very much. I'm sure there's lots of teams that didn't even consider him because he hasn't played. Recency bias is a very real thing. What have you done lately? In Mason's case, absolutely nothing

*When I say you're the only one arguing that he is possibly better than some backups, it's more a figure of speech. I'm implying that I don't believe that argument is taking place outside of this message board

 

You could be right about all of that, shaner, but when you have a few minutes take a look at some NFL teams’ backup quarterbacks and tell me again why Mason generated ZERO interest around the league. I don’t think he even got a phone call. That’s weird! As I perused the list, I saw at least 6-8 backups that I’d take Mason over any day and there were a handful of others that you could argue aren’t as good as Mason.

 

Agreed there’s something along those lines, that may be going on

I thought maybe it’s that teams prefer mobile QB’s but I might be grasping a bit there

It’s a blot on someone’s character to even be associated with an issue like this (even if it’s completely baseless) so maybe teams think “why risk locker room problems by bringing in an average backup QB, when we can find another who’s just as good or good enough?”

 

You might be right. I don't even know if Mason is any good. There's such a small sample size in terms of his games played. He basically has had no career so far. He was drafted in the 3rd, which for a QB, basically means you're a backup at best until you prove otherwise. Has he even proven he deserves to be a backup?

Coming out of college he was generally thought to be a backup or below average starter. He was a system QB. Doesn't have a strong arm, wasn't asked to go through progressions, needs playaction, etc. I have no doubt there were a lot of teams who wouldn't have even signed him as an UDFA. He had a lot of question marks, and I highly doubt the Steelers truly had a 1st round grade on him. If they did, they need to fire all their scouts.

I just don't know what he's done to say he's better than other backups. I can go through the list of backups too, but I truly have no idea if he's better than any of them. I don't know the abilities of most of them. I don't know the abilities of Rudolph either at this point. What is common is for teams to employ their own backups though, rather than a re-tread from another team. If you look at the list of backups around the league, you'll see either former starting QB's (usually short spans) or complete unknowns. It's not common to see someone who has bounced around the league as a backup. Not to mention that Rudolph couldn't even beat out Trubisky.

The biggest death blow to Mason might have been when the Steelers decided Trubisky was better. If Mason can't beat out Trubisky, who has lost his job several times and is now nothing but a backup, then why would other teams want to take him?

 

You make some good points but I still find it very perplexing that no one wanted him. Even Duck Hodge’s got another opportunity and look at the interest that the NFL’s hottest backup quarterback commodity, Josh Dobbs, is generating. IIRC, Rudolph beat him out for the backup role with the Steelers.

 

he sucks, that's why. he can't read the field and constantly gets swallowed up by the pass rush.

 

Thanks for that, but it’s a bit simplistic, don’t you think? I agree he has some weaknesses in his game but so does EVERY OTHER NFL backup and most starters for that matter. He does have a winning NFL record as a starter and a positive TD/INT ratio. That’s more than many other backups can say. I would have just thought that somebody may have an interest in giving him an opportunity.

 

I think the reason Mason hasn’t got much interest across the league is because he’s 28, he hasn’t played a down in two yrs and when he did was far from inspiring. Teams either want young guys that might develop or older guys with recent starting history to fill in. Mason is neither.

Josh Dobbs bounced from practice squad to practice squad. But finally injuries and desperation got him a shot to play in TN last yr. He didn’t look terrible, so AZ took him in the off season. Again due to injuries and desperation. Without those breaks, he’s still sitting on a PS or out of football.

if it should happen that Kenny and Mitch go down, and Mason plays a few games and looks even passable. He might get some interest elsewhere.

 

Honestly it does make one think, with no offers he came back at min, but in a QB starved league (even b/u's), what gamble would a team have to sign him? If he is cut nothing is guaranteed, so you have to wonder how bad he looks to other GM's.

 

Good thoughts and you make a lot of sense. While Mason wasn’t exactly “inspiring” when he played, he also had some pretty good moments and I thought showed enough to garner at least some interest from other teams.

 

Exactly! When you measure the risk/reward, I would have thought it might make sense for some teams.