PITTSBURGH — With the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback job is formally up for grabs.
On Monday, outgoing common supervisor Kevin Colbert gave former backup Mason Rudolph a vote of confidence.
“If we began a season as we speak, Mason could be our starter, and we’re excited to see the place that may go,” Colbert mentioned in his annual availability with native media previous to the NFL mix. “Mason’s 5-4-1 as an NFL starter, albeit in a backup sort of function, however we’re excited to see what’s subsequent for Mason.”
Rudolph began one sport for the Steelers in 2021, an Eleventh-hour determination after Roethlisberger examined optimistic for COVID-19 a day earlier than the Week 9 sport towards the Detroit Lions. Rudolph accomplished 30 of fifty makes an attempt for 242 yards with one landing and one interception in a sport that completed in a tie. In 2019, Rudolph began eight video games after Roethlisberger’s season-ending elbow harm. It was a tumultuous season for the then-second-year quarterback that completed with him finishing 62% of his makes an attempt with 13 touchdowns and 9 interceptions.
However the Steelers invested in Rudolph’s improvement, hiring Matt Canada as quarterbacks coach for the next season. After Canada was promoted to offensive coordinator in 2021, the crew introduced in revered quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan to work with the group.
“I am snug that Mason has gained extra video games than he is misplaced as a starter,” Colbert mentioned. “The place that may go, we’ll see. To be an NFL starter you can win with, you gotta show it over 16 video games. I am anxious to see that, if that is the case.”
Rudolph, who’s coming into his fifth 12 months with the group, is the one quarterback on the roster at the moment underneath contract for the 2022 season, however Colbert added that he expects the crew will tender former first-round choose Dwayne Haskins, who spent most of 2021 because the scout-team quarterback.
“We’re excited to see what Dwayne can present both from competitors, or possibly he evolves as a starter,” Colbert mentioned.
However the Steelers aren’t stopping there.
“We all know we will add to the place,” Colbert mentioned. “I can not let you know how, however at this level we’ll go to camp with 4.”
With two quarterback spots seemingly up for grabs, Colbert, Artwork Rooney II and Mike Tomlin have mentioned each potential avenue for including to the group. The crew may choose a quarterback with their No. 20 general choose, or it may discover free company and the commerce market.
“The draft class of quarterbacks, there’s good high quality out there — in all probability not as many as there have been lately, however it’s what it’s,” Colbert mentioned.
The Steelers bought take a look at a few of these prospects on the Senior Bowl, together with Liberty’s Malik Willis and North Carolina’s Sam Howell. Colbert has additionally stored an eye fixed on Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett, having a front-row seat to his Heisman-finalist season from the amenities the Steelers and Pitt share.
“This group, there’s good gamers in it,” Colbert mentioned. “And there is good gamers that every one have a distinct ability set. That is what was actually distinctive about watching them compete on the Senior Bowl, as a result of nearly all of them have been there, and so they’re all completely different. I do know a few of them can be beginning quarterbacks, successful quarterbacks, and that is thrilling.”
Colbert’s — and the crew’s — prime precedence this offseason is discovering a post-Roethlisberger plan at quarterback, however the Steelers even have to interchange Colbert. The longtime common supervisor is stepping apart after April’s NFL draft. Colbert informed Tomlin and Rooney II that 2021 was going to be his final season as common supervisor in Might 2021, however he might keep across the group in one other function, he mentioned.
“It is time, I feel, from a private standpoint, and I feel it is time from knowledgeable standpoint,” Colbert mentioned. “We all the time should be open to new methods to do issues and extra present methods to do issues, fairly actually. And I encourage our youthful scouts to push me in that regard, however the higher answer could also be exterior the group. We do not know, however I simply suppose from a private aspect, for certain, it is time, however even from knowledgeable aspect, we’ve to be open to attempting to remain forward of the sport.”
To search out Colbert’s alternative, Colbert and Rooney II are interviewing candidates. The primary spherical of interviews can be carried out by early March, with the second spherical anticipated to be accomplished after the NFL draft. Tomlin is concerned within the course of now, however Colbert mentioned the pinnacle coach can have a good larger function in figuring out the following common supervisor after the draft.
To this point, the Steelers have interviewed seven exterior candidates for the place together with two inside potentialities in Omar Khan and Brandon Hunt.