Steelers QB Mason Rudolph 'excited to lead' young players during preseason opener

If Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was serious about holding an open quarterback competition between free-agent signing Mitchell Trubisky, career backup Mason Rudolph and rookie Kenny Pickett this summer, it appears that Rudolph would currently have a slight lead because he's reportedly been "the team's most accurate quarterback" throughout training camp. 

However, The Athletic's Mark Kaboly noted on Monday that "there’s a fractional chance, but it is minimal" that Rudolph could win the gig before Week 1 next month.

Rudolph and the other options on the roster will receive their first chance to impress against a live defense in this coming Saturday's preseason opener versus the Seattle Seahawks. The 27-year-old spoke with reporters about embracing that opportunity even though he's currently second on the depth chart behind Trubisky. 

"I think you’re always trying to prove yourself," Rudolph explained, per Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk. "Every chance you get, you want to prove it. It’s one thing to do it in practice. It’s another to do it in a stadium. We have a lot of young guys, and I’m excited to lead those guys and make them feel comfortable out there when the bullets are flying." 

As noted by Alper, Tomlin hasn't publicly declared how much Trubisky, Rudolph, and Pickett will play versus Seattle. On Monday, though, Mark Madden of TribLIVE and 105.9 The X reported he expects Trubisky and Rudolph will get a bulk of the available reps on Saturday, in part because "Pickett just isn’t close to being ready." 

The Steelers will play at the Jacksonville Jaguars in their second preseason matchup on Aug. 20.