Mark Madden: Mason Rudolph has earned Steelers' starting job, but Mike Tomlin doesn't like to be wrong

As we celebrate Mike Tomlin not having a losing season for the 17th straight time, keep in mind the Pittsburgh Steelers should be 11-5.

If the Steelers don’t make the playoffs, it will be because they lost consecutive home games to Arizona and New England, both teams with 2-10 records entering the game. The Steelers looked unprepared and flat for both defeats.

As we toast the late-season ascension of Mason Rudolph, remember that Rudolph was available to play all season, not least when Kenny Pickett couldn’t start against New England and Indianapolis after getting hurt during the Arizona game.

Mitch Trubisky will be blamed for losing to the Cardinals, Patriots and Colts, and if the Steelers don’t make the playoffs. But Tomlin chose to play Trubisky.

Rudolph’s performances in beating Cincinnati and Seattle have been the Steelers’ two best at the quarterback position since Ben Roethlisberger retired, and arguably dating back through when Roethlisberger returned from elbow surgery in 2020.

It took Tomlin 16 weeks to start Rudolph this season. Rudolph didn’t get a snap in 2022.

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Rudolph has earned the opportunity to start the rest of this season’s games, including the playoffs if the Steelers make them.

At next season’s training camp, Rudolph should be in legitimate competition with Pickett for the starter’s job, with the result not preordained like at 2022’s camp.

That’s if Rudolph re-ups with the Steelers. If Rudolph can get opportunity that’s better and more honest elsewhere, he should take it. He shouldn’t trust Tomlin.

Tomlin has mostly mangled the quarterback position whenever Roethlisberger hasn’t been available. (Witness Tomlin sitting Rudolph in favor of Duck Hodges in 2019.) Defensive-minded head coaches do that. They don’t understand the other side of the ball, especially in today’s high-octane era.

Tomlin also doesn’t like to be wrong, which is what happens if Rudolph keeps playing ahead of a healthy Pickett.

The only reason Pickett isn’t already back behind center is because the locker room would defecate all over that, however quietly. Perhaps not too quietly in George Pickens’ case. He might lead armed insurrection. Rudolph has made Pickens explode.

I hate constant talk about the quarterback. But Rudolph has made that impossible to avoid. Damn him.

Rudolph resuscitating his career is a small sample. Pickett butchering his isn’t.

Rudolph is doing almost everything right. Outside of a few memorable drives that are the exception and not the rule, Pickett has done most things wrong. In some ways historically so.

Pickett has the worst touchdowns per passing attempts ratio in NFL history for any quarterback with 500 or more throws: 1.82%. Thirteen TDs in 713 passes.

Yards after catch seems a foreign concept to Pickett. Rudolph has made it a specialty.

Rudolph is running the same offense Pickett did. But Rudolph is unafraid and making better reads.

Scoring points is football’s primary objective. Pickett doesn’t. Rudolph does.

The Steelers’ season high for points with Pickett starting is 26. That was Week 2 at Cleveland and included two defensive touchdowns. With Rudolph starting, the Steelers have tallied 34 and 30 points.

After 24 starts, Pickett hasn’t proven he’s an NFL quarterback. Rudolph’s stats in his 11 starts are superior.

Rudolph usually looks the part. Pickett rarely does.

At some point, you’ve got to believe what’s happened and what you see instead of eternally wishing for what you want. Hope isn’t a strategy.

Even if Rudolph cools, that doesn’t undo Pickett badly letting down his pedigree as a first-round pick nor how awful he has played.

But, injury permitting, Pickett will start every game next season. Tomlin will get a contract extension. Byron Leftwich will be the new offensive coordinator, or maybe Eddie Faulkner gets retained. #BuddySystem

Rudolph’s unexpected emergence has energized the Steelers and made Week 18’s game at Baltimore mean something.

It will also ironically be the catalyst for the Steelers changing almost nothing.