Former Steelers QB Mason Rudolph Ultimately Opened Many Eyes Regarding Kenny Pickett Within The Organization

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback room looks very different from when the 2023 season ended. Omar Khan released Mitch Trubisky on February 12th. Despite overtures to Mason Rudolph, he decided to ply his quarterback wares for the Tennessee Titans in 2024 and signed a one-year contract for over $3.6 million. Kenny Pickett was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a third-round and two seventh-round draft picks.

On Monday, Gerry Dulac from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette joined The Dan Patrick Show to discuss the current state of the Steelers. Dulac told Dan Patrick, who also produces The Dan Patrick Takes A Gamble podcast, that even his prognosticators would not have gambled on what the Steelers quarterback room would like before St. Patrick's Day. 

"They cleaned out their quarterback room," Dulac began. "If you would have asked probably anybody, whether in Pittsburgh or across the country, if Mitch Trubisky, Mason Rudolph, and Kenny Pickett would all be gone in a matter of two weeks, I don't think anybody would have taken that bet. We'll see if they have upgraded that position. On paper, I definitely think they have."

Pittsburgh has replaced the 2023 trio of quarterbacks with Russell Wilson from the Denver Broncos via a free agency signing, and Justin Fields from the Chicago Bears in Khan's latest fleecing of that organization. Either would have been a substantial upgrade for Mike Tomlin over what he had, but both? Contracts will have to be worked out, but this could be two of the best moves that the Steelers have ever made at the quarterback position. 

Dulac went on to say that Pickett's days in Pittsburgh were numbered the minute that Rudolph started heaving deep balls against the Cincinnati Bengals. The third-string quarterback demonstrated that the Steelers' offense might not be the best designed, but it could still be effective with competent quarterback play. The site of Rudolph carving up NFL defenses could have, upon reflection, been the catalyst for the decision to move on from Pickett. 

"One of the reasons they feel Russell Wilson can do the job is because they saw what Mason Rudolph did with that same offense," Dulac declared. "There was so much criticism about Matt Canada. Kenny Pickett was averaging 16.5 points per game in those 11 games he started, with only six touchdowns. Mason Rudolph comes in, and all of a sudden, it looks like an NFL offense. I don't want to say that convinced them, but maybe it showed them it's not the system. It's the quarterback," Dulac concluded. "Yeah, they think Russell Wilson can improve on that." 

If the Steelers decline Fields' fifth-year option, which is likely, they will pay under $5 million to the top two quarterbacks on the 2024 depth chart. They have secured the services of a nine-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl-winning quarterback. Pittsburgh is paying Wilson the veteran minimum in some of the most bizarre contract circumstances in recent memory. 

Khan also planned for the future by getting a quarterback who has already rushed for 1,000 yards in the NFL and thrown 40 touchdown passes in 38 career starts. He also got younger at the position. Despite three years of NFL experience, Fields is nearly one year younger than Pickett. 

Steelers' Omar Khan Does Not Dwell On Mistakes And Moves On Quickly

Fans and the media will debate the autopsy of what went wrong with Pickett and the rest of the Steelers quarterback room for years. He will be lumped in with Devin Bush, Artie Burns, and Jarvis Jones as the latest example of a Kevin Colbert first-round miss. However, because Khan is willing to tear down mistakes immediately, it will be strictly a philosophical discussion. 

The Steelers general manager is doing business differently.  He is putting the NFL on notice. Pittsburgh is not content with the status quo of finishing at or barely above .500 and losing playoff games. Khan is channeling his inner Dan Rooney and intends to restore the Pittsburgh legacy as a contender to win the Super Bowl.