The Pittsburgh Steelers have a couple of young quarterbacks at practice nowadays, but Mason Rudolph knows how many veteran players are out there, too.
He’s one of them.
With that in mind, Rudolph, who’ll turn 31 in a couple of months, certainly sees value in keeping around a seasoned backup quarterback like himself. He has ceded some snaps to his younger teammates this week as the Steelers hold OTAs, but Rudolph said he fully intends to keep his job.
“This is a veteran team. We’re trying to win now,” Rudolph said Wednesday. “You don’t bring back Aaron Rodgers if you don’t want to win now. Cam Heyward and these guys have been around for a long time. We want to make a playoff push, and I know that I can contribute with that veteran culture.”
Rudolph said plans to give second-year pro Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar added snaps during the spring has “kind of been communicated” by coaches. But this isn’t the first time Rudolph was part of a crowded quarterback room.
“You just draw on your experience for all the different situations and combinations I’ve been through in my career,” Rudolph said. “I’ve won games here. I know I’m capable of winning games. When my number’s been called upon, that’s what I’ve done. Each year it’s a new journey. … But my outlook and approach have not changed. I’m going to take every rep and make the most of it.”
He enters his eighth NFL year having appeared in 34 games with 18 starts. His career total includes 26 games and 14 starts with the Steelers. He started one game last season when Rodgers was injured.
“My plan is to be here and be on this team,” Rudolph said, “and help in whatever fashion I can.”
Rudolph praised the new offense installed by coach Mike McCarthy and coordinator Brian Angelichio, calling the West Coast scheme a great fit for any quarterback. McCarthy, asked after practice about Howard taking snaps ahead of Rudolph, offered praise for the veteran passer.
“Mason’s played a lot of football, and I’ll say this about Mason: I’m extremely impressed with him,” McCarthy said. “When you get veteran players, particularly quarterbacks, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, and that’s not the case with him. He’s been very receptive towards the footwork training. Boy, he really throws it better than I realized.”