Ryan Clark Blasts Steelers for Considering Mason Rudolph as Starting QB

The former Pittsburgh Steelers safety isn't happy.

Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark isn't happy with the team's current approach to the quarterback position.

In a segment on ESPN's Get Up, Clark said the Steelers aren't chasing a championship if Rudolph is their starter in 2022. This comes after general manager Kevin Colbert gave Rudolph a vote of confidence as the team's next starter.

"If Mason Rudolph is the starting QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers entering 2022, they are no longer the Pittsburgh Steelers I love or the fans of Pittsburgh love," Clark said. "They are no longer the team that decides every offseason, 'We are going to try to compete for a championship.

"If Mason Rudolph is the starting QB for the Pittsburgh Steelers entering 2022, they are no longer the Pittsburgh Steelers I love or the fans of Pittsburgh love."

—@Realrclark25 😳 pic.twitter.com/XUhwP3mOUp

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) February 22, 2022

"Mason Rudolph is a very average NFL quarterback. Not an average NFL starter," Clark added. "We have to look at the film and realize what the film says. This isn't a guy that can beat Lamar Jackson. This isn't a guy that can beat Joe Burrow. He certainly can't compete with the Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allens and Justin Herberts of the world."

Rudolph is 5-4-1 as a starter for the Steelers. In his pre-NFL Combine press conference, Colbert said that if the season started "right now," Rudolph would be the starter.

"I'm comfortable that Mason has won more games than he's lost as a starter," Colbert said. "Where that can go, we'll see. To be an NFL starter that you can win with, you gotta prove it over 16 games. I'm anxious to see that, if that's the case."