Bengals may face a new starting quarterback for second straight week
Four weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers changed offensive play-callers right before facing the Cincinnati Bengals. They're considering making another significant offensive change before playing the Bengals a second time. Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Monday afternoon that Mason Rudolph will have the opportunity to start at quarterback when the Bengals come to Pittsburgh […]
Four weeks ago, the Pittsburgh Steelers changed offensive play-callers right before facing the Cincinnati Bengals. They're considering making another significant offensive change before playing the Bengals a second time.
Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin told reporters Monday afternoon that Mason Rudolph will have the opportunity to start at quarterback when the Bengals come to Pittsburgh Saturday.
Quarterback changes right before playing the Bengals? That's nothing new. The Minnesota Vikings benched Josh Dobbs for Nick Mullens in the days leading up to Saturday's game in Cincinnati. The Bengals could be preparing for the same scenario again just a week later.
Rudolph, a third-round pick from the 2018 NFL Draft, has been with the Steelers for his entire six-year career. He's started 10 games in his career, with his most recent from the 2021 season. He went 5-3 as a starter during the 2019 season.
The Steelers have held onto Rudolph as a backup for years, and when the time came for Ben Roethlisberger to retire following 2021, the team signed Mitchell Trubisky to compete as a starter with a first-round selection in Kenny Pickett.
Rudolph hasn't been viewed as a legitimate heir to Roethlisberger in quite some time, but the Steelers have no choice but to turn to him now with their season on the line.
Pickett has been out for two games since undergoing minor surgery for a high ankle sprain. In his place, Trubisky has been underwhelming and the Steelers have lost three straight, including both of Trubisky's starts.
On Saturday, Trubisky was eventually pulled for Rudolph late in the fourth quarter during Pittsburgh's loss to the Indianapolis Colts. Rudolph threw for three yards on 2/3 passing. Tomlin and the Steelers could end up sticking with that decision for at least one more week.
The Bengals faced Rudolph twice during that 2019 campaign when they went on to finish with the worst record in the NFL. Rudolph defeated an overmatched Bengals team twice, one of them being his first career win, but that's the last time anyone has seen him play extended action as a starter.
Will the Steelers unveil another fresh new offense on the Bengals like they did four weeks ago after firing Matt Canada? We'll find out if it's enough to topple the Bengals.
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