Insider suggests Steelers could look to trade QB Mason Rudolph

If reports and rumors are to be believed, the Pittsburgh Steelers are doing just about all they can behind the scenes to inform fans that free-agent acquisition Mitchell Trubisky will be the team's starting quarterback and the successor to future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger over both career backup Mason Rudolph and first-round draft selection Kenny Pickett. 

ESPN's Brooke Pryor recently noted that Trubisky "was the most consistent" "of the three quarterbacks competing for the job" during organized team activities and mandatory minicamp. Steelers insider Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette later explained during a radio interview that "Trubisky will go into the regular season as the starter" barring an unexpected occurrence, such as an injury. Dulac added Pittsburgh "will probably try to" trade Rudolph so Pickett can serve as the club's primary backup this fall. 

For a piece published early Tuesday morning, Pryor also hinted that Rudolph could be traded or even released either during or after the preseason. 

"Both Trubisky and Pickett figure to end up in front of him on the depth chart, and Rudolph could revitalize his career if he is traded to a quarterback-needy team before the season," Pryor said. "Rudolph has undoubtedly improved since the 2019 season, but his development will plateau in Pittsburgh because of circumstance, and he might be better off somewhere else. If that happens, look for seventh-round pick Chris Oladokun to earn that third roster spot."

Rudolph has logged 10 career NFL regular-season starts and holds a 5-4-1 record. In 17 total appearances, he's completed 61.5% of his passes for 2,366 yards with 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.