Tim Benz: Mason Rudolph should charge Steelers a 'trust tax' if they try to sign him

During the course of quarterback Mason Rudolph’s unlikely three-game win streak to help push the 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers into the playoffs, coach Mike Tomlin often seemed guarded in his praise of the former third-stringer.

It was almost as if Tomlin didn’t want to feed the hype surrounding his resurgence. Or, perhaps, he wasn’t quite believing what he was seeing.

After all, Rudolph — once benched for a guy best known for his duck-calling capabilities — had just strung together three straight victories with a quarterback rating of 118.

But during his season-ending press conference Thursday, Tomlin didn’t hold back.

“I don’t think that any of us can deny what we’ve seen over the last month or so,” Tomlin said of Rudolph’s clutch late-season results off the bench. “I cannot underscore (enough) how impressive it is to be ready. Forget performance. To be ready, to deliver. He was. And that preparedness showed. So, certainly, we’re less speculative about his capabilities because there’s evidence of it. And evidence of it in tough circumstances.”

You’d think that for Rudolph, a player who has stated his desire to stay in Pittsburgh as he hits free agency for the second offseason in a row, that quote would be music to his ears.

Instead, it’s probably white noise.

That’s because just a few minutes earlier, Tomlin was asked if displaced starting quarterback Kenny Pickett would resume his “QB1 status” now that the season is over.

“He will,” Tomlin said. “But obviously, there will be competition. There’s always competition in this thing. We don’t anoint anyone. I’m appreciative of (Pickett’s) efforts and where he is, and I am excited about continuing to work with him. But certainly, he will be challenged from a competition perspective moving forward. Competition brings the best out in all of us.”

Upon hearing that, I asked Tomlin if it is the franchise’s hope to retain Rudolph and allow him the opportunity to provide that competition.

“It is,” Tomlin said. “But he is a free agent, and it is free agency. So, we’ll see where that leads us.”

If I were Rudolph, that road would lead me to Minnesota if Kirk Cousins leaves. Or Tampa Bay if Baker Mayfield moves on. Or Atlanta, perhaps New England, depending on circumstances. Somewhere where I would feel that the alleged quarterback competition would at least be legit.

So far, the Steelers have given him very little reason to believe that will be the case.

More sports

• Steelers coach Mike Tomlin confirms his return at season-ending press conference
• Mike Tomlin looking for experienced NFL offensive coordinator to join Steelers' staff
• U mad, bro?: Another Steelers season ends without a playoff win, so fans are in an angry mood

In 2019, Tomlin kept him on a very short rope before tugging him to the bench for Devlin “Duck” Hodges, despite myriad difficult circumstances that Rudolph had to face while replacing an injured Ben Roethlisberger.

In 2022, despite having just as good of a preseason as Kenny Pickett and a better training camp while getting no first-team reps, Pickett surpassed Rudolph to become the opening-day backup and eventual starter.

Even this year, amid Rudolph’s cosmically aligned ascent to the starter’s role, Tomlin refused to even change the depth chart to reflect Rudolph’s starting status.

Why on earth would Rudolph ever believe that this organization would give him a legit 50-50 shot of winning the starting job if — even after the four games he just turned in while Pickett was on the bench — Tomlin is already prepared to put Pickett back in at “QB1”?

I wouldn’t believe it. Not in a million years. If I’m Rudolph, I’m thinking to myself, “All things being equal … they aren’t equal.”

Pickett is the fair-haired, golden-boy, local-school, first-round draft choice. He is always going to get the nod.

To mix in a baseball analogy, the tie goes to the runner. In this case, the “runner” is always the guy with more investment from the organization.

Look, it’s entirely possible that Rudolph’s best offer will come from the Steelers. Maybe the rest of the NFL didn’t take as much notice or wasn’t as impressed as I’m assuming it will be.

But with quarterback depth at such a premium, I find that hard to believe. My guess is there will be a good market for Rudolph when it comes to teams in similar situations that might want to make Rudolph their starter or “1-B” backup.

And if the circumstances are equal financially and the money is roughly the same, I bet Rudolph bolts. Why wouldn’t he? Isn’t this a case where you trust the devil you don’t know as opposed to the one that you do? Frankly, I’d look at the situation as Pittsburgh having three chances to go with me and taking none, as opposed to “Team X” offering me a similar situation.

I’d be starting with a clean slate for the same money, and Team X hasn’t passed me over yet.

What Rudolph should do is charge the Steelers a “trust tax,” i.e., “If you want me to stay and ‘compete’ for the No. 1 job, you have to buy my trust and pay me more than anyone else will.”

Under that scenario, Rudolph may sign while being skeptical of his actual chances to start. But like anything else in NFL free agency, even skepticism has a price that can be met.

The Steelers better meet it. Because, if they don’t, who provides that competition for Pickett that Tomlin is claiming is so important? An older veteran who may not be as good but may cost almost as much? A top-three-round draft choice when the team has so many other needs?

I don’t know what amount of city taxes the Steelers are dolling out for their facility on the South Side. But if Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan want to keep Rudolph, his “trust tax” is another hefty bill they better be prepared to pay.

Listen: Tim Benz and Joe Rutter wrap up Mike Tomlin’s season-ending press conference on 105.9 the X