Steelers: Mason Rudolph sounds thrilled for life without Ben Roethlisberger

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph said Ben Roethlisberger had “leeway” in the team’s offense.

With Ben Roethlisberger retiring from the NFL, Mason Rudolph is the de facto starting quarterback on the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ depth chart. He filled in for an injured Roethlisberger during the 2019 season and has the most experience at the position.

During an appearance on “The Jim Rome Show,” Rudolph said he is looking forward to play in offensive coordinator Matt Canada’s scheme, and brought up that Roethlisberger had “leeway” with the play-calls.

Mason Rudolph says Ben Roethlisberger had ‘leeway’ in Steelers offense

With Roethlisberger having been with the team for 18 years, it is not shocking that he would have a say in what plays are called. Now, as Rudolph points out, Canada will have the opportunity to run his full offensive system.

In the above clip, Rudolph does mention that he is preparing for a quarterback battle heading into the 2022 season. The team has options. They can either sign a veteran free agent, trade for a quarterback on the block or use their first-round draft pick on one of the top prospects. Either way, Rudolph says he is not shying away from competition.

Rudolph, a 2018 second-round pick, played in 17 games for the Steelers (10 starts). In his career, the quarterback has thrown for 2,366 yards, 16 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while completing 61.5-percent of his passes.

Of course, it is not entirely a given that Rudolph will be given the starting quarterback job in 2022. If he does, he will be looking forward to working with Canada.