This week has, so far, been a unique one over the course of his professional career, but it will soon become routine, at least for the remainder of this season. For the first time as an NFL player, second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph is going through a full week of practice and preparation as a starter, taking those first-team reps and everything else that is implied within it.
The Pittsburgh Steelers don’t have a choice. Ben Roethlisberger is already on the Reserve/Injured List, and he is set to have surgery, at some point in the near future, on his throwing elbow.