Mike Tomlin says Mason Rudolph ‘scheduled to be the QB’ this week, but Steelers still evaluating Kenny Pickett

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Christmas has passed, but Rudolph may still have some work to do. Following his impressive outing vs. the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said Mason Rudolph is “scheduled to be the quarterback for the week,” but stopped short of saying he would start when the Steelers take on the Seattle Seahawks, per ESPN. 

Tomlin said Rudolph will get the ball to start the week of practice, but that the team will evaluate Kenny Pickett’s mobility at the end of the week. Pickett had surgery for his high ankle sprain earlier this month, and has now missed three games. Mitch Trubisky was originally given the nod with Pickett sidelined, but the former No. 2 overall pick lost in both of his starts, and was replaced by Rudolph, which appears to have been the right decision.

In the Steelers’ 34-11 victory over the Bengals, Rudolph completed 17 of 27 passes for 290 yards and two touchdowns. He helped show what George Pickens is capable of, as the second-year wideout caught four passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns — including an 86-yard touchdown on Rudolph’s first passing attempt of the game.

Saturday marked the first Steelers double-digit win of the season, and the first victory that included 30 Steelers points scored since 2020. In his first start since Nov. 14, 2021, Rudolph became the first Steelers quarterback to throw for 250 yards and two touchdowns since Ben Roethlisberger did so in that aforementioned 2021 season.

This Week 17 showdown between Pittsburgh and Seattle has huge playoff implications, as both teams are jockeying for wild card positioning in their respective conferences. Right now, SportsLine says the Steelers have a 14.1% chance to reach the playoffs, while the Seahawks…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/mike-tomlin-says-mason-rudolph-scheduled-to-be-the-qb-this-week-but-steelers-still-evaluating-kenny-pickett/

Author : Jordan Dajani

Publish date : 2023-12-26 17:57:47

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