Tim Benz: Steelers QB Mason Rudolph is certain about his uncertainty, and that's OK with him

Jun. 9—There's one thing Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph can't buy with his one-year, $5 million contract extension from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Certainty.

Peace of mind? Maybe. To a degree, anyway.

But certainty? No.

All that contract means (announced an hour before the 2021 NFL Draft on April 29) is that Rudolph gets $2.08 million in guarantees and that there is a piece of paper in general manager Kevin Colbert's desk that says if the Steelers like him enough, they can keep him another season after his rookie deal expires at the end of 2021.

Keep him in what capacity? Impossible to say.

—As Ben Roethlisberger's successor if Big Ben should retire? Could be.

—As the top backup if Roethlisberger decides to come back yet again? Perhaps.

—As a second or third stringer if the Steelers decide they like Dwayne Haskins more? Maybe.

—As part of a three-man (or four-man) battle if they draft a high-round quarterback next year? Who can say?

Does the team absolutely even have to keep him for 2022? With a dead cap number of just $1.04 million (according to OverTheCap.com), no. Not really. Such is life in the NFL when it comes to nonguaranteed contracts.

"I can only control myself and the way I prepare and the way I approach and play in OTAs and in (training) camp," Rudolph said Tuesday. "That's at the forefront of my mind. I'm not worried about '22. I'm trying to live in the moment and be the best I can for my team."

A lot of players like to hit free agency because they want to shop their talents to the highest bidder or find themselves the most palatable playing situation. Others will allow their current teams to buy out free-agent years with contract extensions so the player and organization have greater cost certainty.

But in the case of Rudolph's circumstances, it was never going to be that simple. There would always be questions whether he decided to extend his stay in Pittsburgh or test the open market.

In the end, he decided uncertainty in familiar surroundings was the better way to go.

"I want to be in Pittsburgh," Rudolph said. "This is where I was drafted. This is home. This is where I want to continue to play. I love my teammates."

What do the Steelers get out of this extension? Well, control over the player without much expenditure and one heckuva value if they decide he should be the starter in 2022 or even if they only want a longer look after '21 ends.

The front office also gets a little good faith out of Rudolph. They reward him for handling with aplomb the allegations from Myles Garrett and the media swirl that surrounded them. A pat on the back for silently navigating the choppy waters of being Roethlisberger's backup during this uncertain time. A thank you for handling a tough situation in 2019 as a pro, even if at times his performance didn't appear NFL starting capable.

Because, at other times like in victories against the Bengals, Dolphins, Colts and Rams, he at least came close enough to win.

Also, now Rudolph isn't sweating every minute toward free agency this season, gritting his teeth with every passing snap he can't take toward bettering his resume and film. Maybe he won't be a guy who presses quite as much under those constraints if he ever needs to replace Roethlisberger this season.

Colbert and coach Mike Tomlin may also be buying goodwill in the quarterback room, giving Rudolph the knowledge that he's the only person in it who has a clean contract beyond this season.

Even though Rudolph will still be wedged behind Roethlisberger and challenged by Haskins, all four of Roethlisberger's remaining contract years are voidable. And Haskins is a free agent after this season.

"I don't think you ever have any clarity or any idea of what any team in this league is going to do year to year," Rudolph said. "I think you have to make the best decision for yourself in the moment. I want to be a Steeler and stay in Pittsburgh. I've got as good of a chance here as any to accomplish my goals. I don't get caught up in scenarios. I control myself and the way I perform and the way that I work. That's just how I'm looking at it."

If we want to boil it down to the simplest denominator, Rudolph stated on Tuesday that he wants to be a starter someday.

Of course. What else is he going to say? "I always want to be a backup"?

Right now, the clearest path for him to accomplish that goal is to be here, even if the succession plan is foggy. Barring another Roethlisberger early-season injury and a Kurt Warner-esque emergence from Rudolph, he'd be jumping into just as dicey a quarterback scenario in most other places should he test next year's waters.

The only thing certain about Rudolph's future right now is that — whether you think he deserves it or not — every time he goes to Cleveland, he's going to get booed louder than anyone else.

Why not do that as a Steeler for at least one extra year? At least that way, it won't stand out quite as much.

Tim Benz is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Tim at tbenz@triblive.com or via Twitter. All tweets could be reposted. All emails are subject to publication unless specified otherwise.