Steelers fans must view Mason Rudolph as a threat, which is why they were so eager to see him traded

“Mason Rudolph is hot garbage. I wonder what the Steelers could get for him in a trade?”

That’s the mentality of your average Steelers fan, as Mason Watch, the saga involving Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph and whether or not he’ll remain in Pittsburgh through the 2022 campaign, rages on.

Why are Steelers fans so eager to see Rudolph traded away? And what do they think Pittsburgh could get for a quarterback that the faithful are convinced is so gosh-darn horrible? A fifth-round draft pick? For hot garbage?

Seriously, I want a woman to want me as much as Steelers fans want to see Rudolph excommunicated from Pittsburgh forever.

Again, why so desperate to see the man get booted out of town? I think we’ve long-since established that Mitch Trubisky will be the Steelers starting quarterback in 2022. If it’s not Trubisky, I also think we’ve long-since established that Kenny Pickett will be the Steelers starting quarterback in 2022.

Rudolph has no chance to be the guy—whether he deserves the chance or not—but decent backup quarterbacks aren’t as easy to find as one thinks. Believe it or not, Rudolph is a decent backup quarterback.

Don’t think so? OK, what about a third-string quarterback? You don’t think Rudolph is at least good enough to be deactivated during NFL games? If you don’t at least agree that Rudolph is third-string material, you’re either lying or delusional (I’m leaning toward the latter—no offense).

Or, maybe you’re just scared of Rudolph. Maybe you perceive him as a threat to eventually work his way up the depth chart in 2022 and prove to be better than both Trubisky and Pickett. The more I think about it, the more I think that’s what’s going on here.

Seriously, you remind me of that guy who likes a girl but is threatened by another guy’s presence. Sure, you think you’re a more desirable catch than that other guy, but what if your target of affection actually falls for him and all of his faults? You can’t leave the two of them alone. You bring up awkward and mean topics during Happy Hour, like, “You’re divorced, aren’t you, Toby? Your ex-wife got the house and kids, right?”

If I know my social media jargon, you’re about to say something along the lines of, “STOP! JUST STOP! Mason Rudolph is hot garbage!” (People love to say hot garbage on social media.) OK, but that brings me back to Rudolph’s trade value. He’s on a one-year deal. He’s made 17 appearances over his first four regular seasons. What can the Steelers possibly fetch for him in a trade? A fifth-round pick at best? So what? What good is a fifth-round pick to the Steelers right now? For that matter, what good will a fifth-round pick be to Pittsburgh in 2023?

I can just see the headline now: “Will (insert Steelers 2023 fifth-round pick received in a trade for Mason Rudolph here) be the steal of the draft?” Spoiler alert: No.

Call me crazy, but give me the solid backup or third-string quarterback in 2022 over a mid-round or worse draft pick in 2023. The whole point is to break training camp with the 53-best players on the roster.

Rudolph as a member of the quarterback room—regardless of his place on the depth chart—would help to accomplish that in 2022.

The Steelers 2022 regular season is about to start. I’m in “now” mode. I want to see the Steelers win as many games as possible. I don’t give a darn about the 2023 NFL Draft at the moment.

Give me Mason Rudolph. Keep the draft pick.