Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert let the cat out of the bag in regard to the team’s new starting quarterback.
Well, for now.
“If we started a season today, Mason (Rudolph) would be our starter,” Colbert said Monday, via ESPN. “He’s 5-4-1 as a starter. We’re excited to see what’s next for Mason.”
Colbert was giving the nod to Rudolph over pending restricted free agent Dwayne Haskins as the Steelers look for a replacement for Ben Roethlisberger, who retired after 18 seasons with the team.
Rudolph, 26, posted a 5-3 record in eight starts in 2019 when Roethlisberger was sidelined with an elbow injury. He threw for 1,765 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions that season.
Overall, Rudolph has thrown for 2,366 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 picks in 17 career games (10 starts).
Haskins, 24, didn’t see any action for the Steelers this past season. He went 3-10 as a starter over the previous two campaigns for Washington before being released late in the 2020 season. He passed for 2,804 yards with 12 touchdowns and 14 interceptions.
Colbert noted the Steelers are looking to add competition to their quarterback ranks, whether through free agency or the upcoming 2022 NFL Draft. The Steelers hold the 20th overall pick.
Roethlisberger completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 64,088 yards and 418 touchdowns in 249 career games, 247 of them starts for the Steelers. Roethlisberger was the 2004 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Colbert is stepping down as GM after the draft.
–Field Level Media