Mason Rudolph has no interest in being the Steelers' No. 3 option at quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger will start, of course, but after that, it's Rudolph vs. Josh Dobbs vs. Devlin Hodges for the primary backup role.
Last season, Dobbs earned that distinction, snagging the No. 2 slot on the team's depth chart and even getting a chance to play when Roethlisberger briefly exited the Steelers' Week 14 matchup vs. the Raiders with a rib injury.
Today at the Rooney Complex during the final day of Week 2 of OTAs, Dejan Kovacevic asked Rudolph if he sees himself as the team's third option for a second consecutive season.
Rudolph made his thoughts clear:
Rudolph, who didn't appear in any games last season, will need to make up some ground on Dobbs to secure his wish. While Dobbs certainly hasn't emerged as a juggernaut under center, he has an extra year of experience with the team's system, and, as a solid runner, he provides an additional dimension to the offense.
For Rudolph, none of that matters. He's controlling what he can control, and he's refining his skills so when the time comes, he's ready to seize his opportunity.
"I try to keep a pretty even-keel mindset the whole time," Rudolph was telling DK. "Obviously, if it's the offseason, you kind of get a chance to work on some other things, rest and kind of get in the playbook a little more, study some things that you might not have time for when you're preparing for a specific opponent in the week. But [the] mindset's the same.
"Obviously it's not the best time of the year, but it's probably second best with OTAs and being able to come out here and practice for an hour and a half with your guys and get timing right, see new faces and kind of work on chemistry. It's been a great opportunity."
