From the outside looking in, many around the NFL world were confused when the Green Bay Packers spent a first-round pick on a quarterback in the same year that their starter, Aaron Rodgers, was named league MVP. Now with the benefit of hindsight, it's clear that they made the right decision planning for a future without Rodgers under center.
But even two years before that, the Packers had their next franchise QB in mind, according to former Green Bay head coach and current Pittsburgh Steelers coach, Mike McCarthy. In a recent press conference with his new team, McCarthy revealed that he wanted to draft a future replacement for Rodgers back in 2018 — a player who has spent most of his career as an underachieving backup.
"Wanted to draft Mason [Rudolph] to replace Rodgers someday, [but the] Packers waited for 2020 instead," McCarthy said.
Now in his sixth NFL season, quarterback Mason Rudolph has not lived up to the hype. A third-round selection in the 2018 NFL Draft, Rudolph has started 19 games in his career with a lifetime 30-to-22 touchdown-to-interception ratio. His quarterback rating has never surpassed 72.7, and his 17-game average for a season's worth of passing yards stands at 2,462.
Needless to say, the Green Bay Packers made the right choice by passing on Mason Rudolph and waiting for Jordan Love.
Even for where he was drafted, Packers quarterback Jordan Love has exceeded expectations. He's a skilled leader with the proficiency to make passes almost anywhere on the field and ensure his top playmakers remain engaged in the offense. Although he has yet to reach a Pro Bowl selection, Love is of that echelon, surpassing 3,300 passing yards and 23 touchdowns in each of his last three seasons as a starter.
Rudolph, who admittedly hasn't received the same level of opportunity as Love, hasn't sniffed that level of production and firmly remains stuck as a backup at this stage of his career. Although he is well-regarded within the Steelers organization and is back for a second stint with the team, Rudolph clearly would've been a terrible successor to Aaron Rodgers. If he can't beat out a 42-year-old Rodgers for the starting job, he certainly couldn't have kept up with him back in his MVP candidacy.
What the Packers were able to achieve with Love immediately picking up the mantle from Rodgers is rare — just like the feat they accomplished passing the torch from Brett Favre to Rodgers. It speaks to the culture and football genius of the organization that they're able to go this long without a gap at the sport's most important position.
On the flip side, Rudolph's place on the Steelers' roster is insecure with Rodgers returning and two promising young QBs now in place between Will Howard and Drew Allar. If that doesn't convince you the Packers made the right choice at their most important position, I'm not sure anything will.
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