If the Pittsburgh Steelers' quarterback puzzle comes down to which of the candidates is "tall and handsome''?
President Donald Trump believes The Steel City has itself a winner.
Mason Rudolph sits atop the Steelers depth chart. ... But it is an uncomfortable seat as the franchise continues to wait and wonder about whether Aaron Rodgers plans to sign on.
And yes, Rudolph, is conceding that it amounts to a "constant noise.''
In a blunt take on the odd situation, Rudolph is saying that some level of high-profile discomfort is "the nature of the NFL'' and is therefore something he's grown accustomed to.
But ...
“That’s nothing new to me. There’s been constant noise,'' he said. “That is the nature of the NFL. So I am used to that for a long time. Now I’m doing nothing but being the best I can be to help our team get better this spring.”
That's the right thing to say, and it echoes much of what other Steelers roster members have said about the do-what-he-wants Rodgers, the faded four-time NFL MVP who is absolutely - deny it as he does - "holding the Steelers hostage.''
Privately, we bet, Rudolph, former seventh-round pick Skylar Thompson and rookie Will Howard would all like some level of clarity from the team.
But they can't get it from the Steelers until the Steelers get it from free agent Rodgers. ... so they'll have to settle for "clarity'' from the president.
During a Friday's rally in West Mifflin, the President of the United States gave Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph - who was present, along with Steelers special-teams ace Miles Killebrew - a shoutout.
Trump referred to the 6-5 veteran signal-caller as a "tall, handsome" figure who's going to be "the guy" for Pittsburgh this fall.
"I happen to think a really good quarterback is a man named Mason Rudolph — and I think he's going to get a big shot," Trump said. "He's tall, he's handsome, got a great arm, and I have a feeling he's gonna be the guy."