Steelers: 3 irresponsible mistakes Mike Tomlin has already made this offseason

1. Making Mason Rudolph a priority to re-sign in his NFL free agency

This is the one that actually bothers me. I understand the thought behind hiring Arthur Smith for dirt cheap to be the next offensive coordinator. It is not like he needs the money anyway. I also understand the idea behind giving Pickett one more year, simply for financial reasons and the fact that he seems like a good guy. But to make Mason Rudolph a priority in NFL free agency is laughable.

This has nothing to do with Rudolph himself of his talent, but rather the manner in which the Steelers have wasted the last six years of his pro football career. He was drafted out of Oklahoma State in 2018 to be the heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben had no interest in grooming his successor. While Rudolph has had moments as the Steelers' starter, they have always been fleeting.

At this point, Rudolph has put enough on tape to at least be giving a chance to be a stop-gap starter somewhere else in the league. If he were to return to the Steelers, he would be a fool because it is just going to be more of the same. Heck, I would rather Rudolph back up Bryce Young on his hometown's Carolina Panthers because at least Dave Canales has shown that he can elevate quarterback play.

Running it back with Pickett and Rudolph signifies to us that Tomlin values control over everything.