Coach Mike Tomlin held his weekly news conference yesterday and answered the biggest question on everyone’s mind this week: Will Mason Rudolph or Kenny Pickett start against the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday.
Tomlin said Rudolph will be the team’s tentative starter Sunday afternoon, but they will monitor Pickett’s progress this week as he recovers from ankle surgery in Week 12. When asked if Pickett would become the starter if he’s cleared, Tomlin would not say yes or no, but instead responded with “I’m not in to hypotheticals.”
When asked what went into the decision to make Rudolph the tentative starter, Tomlin said the team is taking the same approach to Seattle as they did to Cincinnati last week.
Tomlin echoed his comments on Rudolph’s leadership qualities, saying his ability to lead the team on the field came naturally and that he wasn’t surprised to see it.
Linebacker Elandon Roberts will likely miss Sunday’s game against Seattle as he recovers from a pectoral injury. Tomlin said veterans Myles Jack and Blake Martinez will get extended looks in his absence. Roberts could return for the season finale against Baltimore. Safeties Trenton Thompson (neck) and Minkah Fitzpatrick (knee) will “start the week in limited capacity,” according to Tomlin. Both could play this Sunday if there are no setbacks in practice.
To bolster the linebacker depth, the Steelers reportedly signed former Dallas Cowboy Jaylon Smith to their practice squad. His agent Doug Hendrickson announced the move yesterday in a post on X. Smith was the Cowboys’ second-round pick in 2016 and appeared in 81 games with Dallas and the New York Giants.
Over the weekend, the Steelers released, then re-signed running back Anthony McFarland to the practice squad. The initial cut was made to make room for linebacker Kyron Johnson, who was promoted to the main roster prior to Friday’s game against Cincinnati, but he was added back to the practice squad Monday afternoon. McFarland appeared in only three games this season, hauling in two receptions for 11 yards and returning six kickoffs for 164 yards.
NFL
Minnesota tight end TJ Hockenson will miss the rest of the season after suffering ACL and MCL injuries on Sunday.
