Ryan Clark on Steelers: 'I would not want Mason Rudolph as my starting quarterback'
As things stand today, career backup Mason Rudolph is set to compete with 2019 first-round draft pick Dwayne Haskins for the right to replace the recently retired Ben Roethlisberger as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Former Steelers safety and current ESPN analyst Ryan Clark, who recently generated headlines when he said Russell Wilson of the Seattle Seahawks "is not an all-time great quarterback," appeared on Pittsburgh's 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday and made it clear he's not all that fond of at least one of the signal-callers currently attached to his former employer:
Rudolph, a third-round selection from the 2018 draft, is an unproven commodity, at best, who has thus far attempted only 384 career passes. He completed 236 (61.5%) of those attempts for 2,366 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions, and he's accumulated a 5-4-1 record as a starter.
Earlier this month, the Steelers were mentioned as a potential suitor for San Francisco 49ers veteran quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo, who will soon be replaced atop the depth chart by 2021 rookie Trey Lance. However, ESPN's Todd McShay predicted in his latest mock draft released Wednesday morning the Steelers will trade up to acquire Malik Willis of the Liberty Flames at or near pick No. 17 if that option is available on the opening night of this year's draft.
"My top QB, Willis has the strongest arm in the class and can create outside the pocket, making tough off-platform throws look easy," McShay explained. "He's still developing, and he threw 12 interceptions last season, but the Steelers can build the offense around this dynamic passer."
It's unclear if head coach Mike Tomlin would be willing to spend time on a so-called "project" at the sport's most important position or if he'd want a veteran who has already won big games at the highest level such as Garoppolo.
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