The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team that former Buffalo Bills General Manager Doug Whaley knows quite well and just like the rest of us, he's trying to put together the pieces as to why Mason Rudolph is back with the Steelers for 2023. After it looked like there was no way for the former Oklahoma State quarterback would be staying in the 412, he is back and now has an opportunity to parlay 2023 into a long-term role with the team.
Whaley was hired by the Bills in 2010 and served as General Manager from 2013-2017, but before that had two separate stints in Pittsburgh. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Whaley's first job in football came in his hometown as an assistant in the player personnel department. After spending some time as a scout for the Seattle Seahawks, he returned to Pittsburgh for 11 years before his move to upstate New York. He had been in the running for the Steelers' General Manager position before it was given to Omar Khan. During a recent radio spot on The Morning Show on 93.7 the Fan, he explained what Rudolph should try to do with the chance he's been given.
"I’m looking at it like I just got myself a career and a career after my football," he said. "Be one of those guys that stick around for eight to 10 years. Make a million or a million and a half, every year you get a two to five percent raise and by year 10, you’re making two million. That’s just stacking chips. You’re not getting abused on your body. Maybe three or four games a year you become the number two. Maybe you go in for a half. It’s a nice life. Then transition that life into some business or you go into coaching."
The number one thing that Whaley thinks will be important in showing he's committed to being a good soldier in all of this is to give quarterback Kenny Pickett guidance and support.
"I’m assuming the Steelers were like, ‘Listen, if you’re coming back, it's for this amount and for this position.’ Put it out there right now, so there are no misconceptions or hard feelings when he ends up becoming the three, he can’t be like, ‘They did me wrong.’ Because that’s going to get out if they offered him an open competition and didn’t do it in camp. I don’t see them acting in that kind of a way and Khan’s the type of guy that’s pretty straightforward."
Even if there's no explicit battle for the backup job, Whaley expects there still to be competition and for Rudolph to try and put the heat on Trubisky if he has any bad outings. The team will likely stick with Trubisky now as they finalize an extension with him, but Rudolph could still have a longer stay if he's willing to stick in the QB3 role.
Do Whaley's comments help you to understand why Rudolph is back? Would you be open to him staying long-term?
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