Steelers Rumors: Mason Rudolph is trade candidate as Steelers weed out QB room

With the Oct. 31 NFL trade deadline fast approaching, the NFL staff at The Athletic took on the challenge of labeling a realistic trade candidate from every team. For the Pittsburgh Steelers, QB Mason Rudolph was the name of choice.

"Honestly, there is nobody currently on the roster who needs to be moved or, frankly, good enough to be in demand," writes Mark Kaboly. "Rudolph is interesting because he's an expendable veteran third-string quarterback who is playing out a minimum deal he signed in the spring."

With Kenny Pickett's injury history, he warns that the Steelers are unlikely to actively shop Rudolph. Still, it's not hard to fathom a QB-needy team picking up the phone and offering real assets to take Rudolph off the Steelers' hands.

Rudolph is 5-4-1 in 10 career starts. He has completed 61.5 percent of his passes (6.2 yards per attempt) for 2,366 yards, 16 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. He's a towering presence in the pocket, listed at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds. There's zip on his throws and it's not hard to envision Rudolph out-performing a few of the NFL's weaker starters. At the very least, he's an established backup who probably deserves better than third-string status.

All it takes is an untimely injury for needs to arise. Rudolph is one of the flashiest third-string QBs outside of Dallas, so it's worth keeping an eye on the rumor mill ahead of Oct. 31.

Steelers Rumors: T.J. Watt fined $25K for violations vs. Ravens

The Steelers pulled off their best win of the young season last Sunday in a stunning 17-10 comeback victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The game ended on a Lamar Jackson fumble, which Steelers superstar T.J. Watt scooped up to seal the deal.

Watt played through a gnarly finger injury to deliver two tackles and two sacks, along with the fumble recovery. It was a game to celebrate for Watt and the Steelers, but it came with repercussions. The league fined Watt roughly $25K for two violations of league rules — unsportsmanlike conduct and unnecessary roughness.

Watt's pockets will be hurting, but only so much. He's due $29.3 million this season, so it's a drop in the bucket. If Watt could do it all over, he would probably take his helmet off again.

The Flowers hit is less defensible, obviously, but there's no reason to believe Watt's intentions were malicious. Football is a dangerous sport and dangerous plays happen.

Watt and the Steelers are on a buy in Week 6, so Watt has time to rest his mangled hand and get his finances in order. Pittsburgh returns next Sunday, Oct. 22, for a road battle with the Los Angeles Rams. That should be a thrilling battle of mediocre teams with diametrically opposed strengths.

Steelers Rumors: Kirk Cousins mentioned as potential Steelers target

If the Steelers opt for an aggressive trade deadline approach, former NFL GM Michael Lombardi has a pitch: trade for Kirk Cousins.

"Pittsburgh," Lombardi said. "Would Pittsburgh take him? Would you put Kirk Cousins on Pittsburgh's team right now? Pretty much, that might improve them, and it might give them a long-term answer."

That is obviously unlikely, to the point where TribLive columnist Mark Madden committed a whole article to disparaging even the thought of trading for Cousins. He called it "totally absurd" with no basis in fact.

The Steelers appear wholly content with Kenny Pickett, for better or worse. The 25-year-old has battled injuries and his performance remains largely inconsistent, but he's young and the flashes (especially in preseason) are enough to keep Pittsburgh invested.

Also of note are Mitch Trubisky and Mason Rudolph. The Steelers have committed legitimate financial resources to rostering three viable QBs. The odds of spending more resources to bring another (much more expensive 35-year-old) QB into the mix are low. Also, Lombardi's characterization of Cousins as a "long-term solution" feels misguided given the veteran's advanced age. There's a reason the Minnesota Vikings have been hesitant to extend him.

Cousins is a solid QB and he would probably make the Steelers better. But, would he make them better enough to justify the investment — especially with Matt Canada's low-scoring system in place? No, of course not. The Steelers aren't in a position to realistically trade for Cousins. Plain and simple.