Steelers' Mason Rudolph Clears Concussion Protocol, Will Start After Bye Week

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph has been cleared from concussion protocol and will return to the lineup following the team's Week 7 bye.

The 24-year-old was concussed in the Steelers' Week 5 loss to the Baltimore Ravens on an ugly hit safety Earl Thomas. He was motionless on the ground for several minutes before walking off the field with his facemask removed by stadium personnel.

Devlin Hodges started in Rudolph's place last week, leading the Steelers to a win over the Los Angeles Chargers. He completed 15 of 20 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown against an interception. 

"He didn't kill us, you know?" Steelers coach Mike Tomlin told reporters when asked to assess Hodges' play. "And that's what you need from young quarterbacks. He generally took care of the ball, he made the plays he needed to make. But we were thoughtful about the positions that we put him in. We converted three or four possession downs via the run. Many others we dumped off in the flat and allowed James Conner to win 'em after the catch. We did the things that we needed to do to secure victory in that instance."

Tomlin did, however, confirm Rudolph would remain the team's starting quarterback moving forward. 

"Seriously guys, that guy is our quarterback when he clears the protocol, and it's as simple as that," Tomlin said. "Appreciate the efforts of Duck and so forth, but as soon as [Rudolph] is ready to go, he's ready to go." 

Rudolph, a third-round pick in 2018, took over under center after Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury in Week 2. He's thrown for 646 yards and seven touchdowns against two picks while leading the Steelers to a 1-2 record in his starts. 

The Steelers gave Roethlisberger, and to an extent Rudolph, a major vote of confidence earlier this season when trading away their first-round pick for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. It's no surprise, then, to see Rudolph re-inserted into the starting lineup—even after Hodges acquitted himself well.