Just six quarters into the 2019 season, second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph was shoved into the spotlight in Pittsburgh as he was forced into action after Ben Roethlisberger was lost for the season with torn tendons in his elbow against the Seattle Seahawks.
That season, Rudolph had an up and down year making his NFL debut and trying to replace a legend on a team with significant playoff aspirations. Though Rudolph handled himself well at times, he also had plenty of lows, including being knocked out of the game against the Baltimore Ravens while playing some of his best football by one Earl Thomas, later being benched on the road against the Cincinnati Bengals only to be pushed back into the lineup late in the season against the New York Jets, then only to be lost for the season in the same game with a significant shoulder injury.