Season-ending injury a scare for Rudolph
Doctors: Aorta could have been punctured
It has been a tough season for Mason Rudolph, and it had little to do with his performance as a second-year quarterback.
He was knocked unconscious in the first game against the Baltimore Ravens, hit on the head with his own helmet in the much-publicized incident with Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett, and now, the latest — a rare and potentially dangerous injury in his final appearance against the New York Jets on Dec. 22.
After suffering what he thought was merely a dislocated left shoulder after being tackled in the third quarter, Rudolph discovered he had something much more serious
— posterior sternoclavicular dislocation, an injury that can threaten several vital structures near the medial clavicle, including the trachea and aorta.
It is the type of injury usually associated with motor vehicle accidents and falls and is considered an emergency, according to several medical websites.
“They were worried it would puncture my aorta,” Rudolph told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “It was very scary.”
Rudolph underwent a surgical procedure shortly after the Steelers arrived home from their 16-10 loss to the Jets in East Rutherford, N.J. The procedure was performed by Dr. Ivan Tarkin, a trauma surgeon at UPMC Mercy. Rudolph was kept in a trauma unit for three days after the procedure.
It wasn’t what Rudolph was expecting when he got tackled for a 5-yard loss after he tripped over center B.J. Finney and tried to get up and run near the end of the third quarter. Rudolph played four more snaps after that, including completing a 14-yard pass to JuJu Smith-Schuster on the very next play.
“I thought it was a bad AC sprain,” Rudolph said, using the medical term that typically describes a separated shoulder. “I played a couple more plays and throws with it. Adrenaline was still pumping. Once I came over to the sideline it stiffened up and I was like, ‘I can’t even move my left arm or left side of my body.’ It was pretty painful.”
The type of injury was not the same as the one Ben Roethlisberger had in a Nov. 12, 2012, game against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it had the same potential danger. Roethlisberger had a rare dislocation of the first rib that could have punctured his aorta. He missed three games because of that and a shoulder injury incurred on the same play.
Nonetheless, what had been a high moment for Rudolph — he returned for the first time since being yanked in a Nov. 24 game in Cincinnati and led the Steelers to a field goal and touchdown in the final 1:18 of the first half — suddenly became another traumatic one. This time, though, it turned out to be even more serious than what had happened against the Ravens and Browns.
“I thought I was right back in it there,” Rudolph said. “I was excited to get another chance and win the game and lead us to the playoffs and it happened again.”
After replacing Devlin Hodges on the fourth possession, Rudolph completed 9 of 12 passes for 105 yards and a 29-yard touchdown to rookie Diontae Johnson when he brought the Steelers back from a 10-0 deficit in the first half. And he completed five of his next eight passes for 24 yards in the second half before he was injured.
But his brief appearance was a good sign for the Steelers because of the instant and mistake-free lift he provided the offense. More important, it helped to erase some of the bad memories the coaches might have had after his performance in Cleveland and subsequent benching in Cincinnati.
“It was important to me,” Rudolph said. “I knew it was probably going to happen at some point I’d get back in. But to make the charge, lead us to the playoffs, you’re right there, you’re back to yourself, and you get nipped.
“But that’s the game, that’s adversity, and I’ve always overcome that so I’m not worried about that at all. Just have a great offseason, get healthy, go back and watch all the games I played in, watch the tape and improve like I always do.”
Rudolph said it will take two months for his injury to heal. Meanwhile, the Steelers will spend the early part of the offseason evaluating how Rudolph performed after he was forced to replace Ben Roethlisberger in the second half of the Week 2 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Rudolph, a third-round draft choice in 2018, had never appeared in an NFL game until that point. He finished the season completing 62.2 percent of his passes (176 of 283) for 1,765 yards, 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions — four of which came in the 21-7 loss Nov. 14 in Cleveland. His passer rating was 82.0.
“This time last year I was basically redshirted, so to have the experience I did, to have the highs and a couple lows that I did, made me stronger,” Rudolph said. “I want to come back and compete like I always do and be ready to win games again if and when my number is called.
“I’m just glad I’m on the road to being healthy now.”