Mason Rudolph expected to start at QB for Steelers vs. Seahawks in Week 17

The Pittsburgh Steelers are on track to start backup quarterback Mason Rudolph again for their Week 17 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks, according to head coach Mike Tomlin. The head coach provided an update on Tuesday, saying that Rudolph is “scheduled” to start while the team continues to monitor Kenny Pickett for progress.

The Steelers beat the Cincinnati Bengals 34-11 on Saturday behind a 290-yard and two-touchdown performance from Rudolph. The backup hadn’t started a game since December of 2021 before he took the reins against the Bengals.

“I felt like we were balanced and we were clicking,” Rudolph said after jumping out to a 24-0 lead at halftime.

His favorite target on Saturday, despite recent drama surrounding the wideout, was George Pickens. He had four catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns. That included an 86-yard score, which was the longest of Pickens’ career.

“People like to question (our commitment) a lot,” Pickens said after the game. “But that just shows you (who we are).”

Steelers continuing to evaluate Pickett’s mobility

Kenny Pickett has been missing in action for a month as he recovered from the Tightrope surgery on his ankle. The Steelers quarterback did return to practice last week in limited fashion. Still, as a safety precaution, Pittsburgh head coach Mike Tomlin and his training staff elected to give their starting quarterback another week of rest and recovery before putting him back in the starting lineup.

“Obviously, we have a great deal more comfort from what we saw in-stadium from Mason,” Tomlin said Tuesday. “He’s got the ball to start the week and we’ll see where Kenny is from a mobility perspective and go from there. We’ll take it day by day. As I said a week ago, Mason Rudolph is scheduled to be the quarterback and we’ll see where Kenny is.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers will try to beat the Seahawks in Seattle for just the second time in franchise history when they play on Dec. 31. Seattle is coming off two 20-17 victories. First, they beat the Philadelphia Eagles, then they beat the Tennessee Titans.

The Seahawks are now 8-7 and sitting in second in the NFC West. Their record is tied with the L.A. Rams but both are still behind the San Francisco 49ers.