There is a whole lot going on right now in Pittsburgh. Ben Roethlisberger is officially out for the season due to an elbow injury. If you’re a Steelers fan, waking up today to hear the Big Ben news must have been tough.
But.. there’s is still a whole lot be optimistic about in Pittsburgh. They have officially acquired former Miami Dolphins defensive back Minkah Fitzpatrick, in exchange for a 2020 first-round pick, per Adam Schefter.
With Big Ben out, this means Mason Rudolph is now the QB. Rudolph, was selected in the 3rd round last year out of Oklahoma State.
Last year’s draft class has been thriving so far in the NFL. Lamar, Baker, Josh Allen, Darnold all have playing well so far, and we’ll see with Rosen.
Rudolph could very possibly be the hidden gem of last year’s class. I’ve got a ton of confidence that Mason Rudolph will be a great quarterback in the NFL.
He’s a pocket QB with good size. He’s shown consistent improvement as a passer. Rudolph definitely demonstrated in college he has a terrific arm.
Rudolph was a 4-year starter, where threw for a very impressive 13,618 yds. His numbers steadily improved each season (853, 3770, 4091, 4904), 92 TD with only 26 INT. His touchdowns also increased each season: (21, 28, 37).
He’s accurate, tough, athletic and definitely has all the intangibles of a leader they could rally around. Now, he can finally go ahead and start building chemistry with their new young core, which is looking to be revamped after AB & Bell’s departure.
Rudolph already showed last game that he has a strong connection with top WR JuJu Smith Schuster, but he has unreal chemistry on the field with WR James Washington.
Washington, was Rudolph’s go-to-guy in college, to say the least.. His senior year he won the Biletnikoff Award (best WR in the country) and was 1st-team All American. Now they’ll look to continue and build upon that connection in the NFL, which is a perfect dream-situation for both of them.
On the defensive side of the ball, the defense has improved a ton with the addition of 2018 11th overall pick Minkah Fitzpatrick. The former Miami Dolphins DB is a huge addition for this defense, especially long-term.
Fitzpatrick, joins some unbelievable young talents such as former 1st-round linebackers Devin Bush and T.J. Watt. The Steelers got a huge steal with Fitzpatrick’s contract. He’s on their books for $1M this season, $.1.98M in 2020, $2.7M in 2021, and a team option in 2022, per Spotrac.
It’s yet to be determined whether Big Ben will suit up again for the Steelers, but what is determined is they’ve now positioned themselves to be a very competitive team for the future.
Off The Gridiron 