The Steelers drafted quarterback Mason Rudolph in the third round on Friday night, making him the potential heir to Ben Roethlisberger. But Rudolph isn’t expecting Roethlisberger to groom him for the role.
Rudolph said he understands that Roethlisberger’s job is to prepare himself to play this season, not to prepare Rudolph to play in the future.
“It’s not Ben’s job to teach me anything,” Rudolph said, “it’s my job to learn.”
Roethlisberger has indicated he could retire soon, which means there will be increased attention on Rudolph as a potential franchise quarterback in the future. But the reality is Roethlisberger is the established starter who’s still playing at a high level, while Rudolph is just a third-round pick whose most likely role this season will be inactive third-stringer behind both Roethlisberger and Landry Jones. Rudolph understands his place.