Imagine being an undrafted rookie from an FCS school, released and re-signed suddenly thrust into a game against your team’s most hated rival. This was the position Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Devlin Hodges found himself in when Mason Rudolph went down with a concussion on Sunday.
And he more than held his own. So much so, he has earned the starting spot for next week against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Even head coach Mike Tomlin offered praise of the young quarterback when he was in no mood to say anything nice about anyone. “I thought he represented himself well,” Tomlin said. “He gave us a chance. Gotta tip your cap to him. You’re talking about a guy who didn’t make our opening 53 and all of his things, we know his story. But you also got to acknowledge that he’s done some good things at every step along the way through the team developing process when given an opportunity and that’s why he’s in the position that he’s in and that’s probably why he made the positive showing as positive as he did today.”
Don’t be shocked if you hear pundits pushing for Paxton Lynch, currently not on 53-man roster to be promoted and get the start this weekend. There is certainly something to be said for having an experienced veteran under center in a tough road game. But Lynch has done nothing to warrant this kind of consideration.
The last thing Hodges needs is a veteran breathing down his neck this week as he prepares to start in the NFL. His play on Sunday earned him the chance to fill in for Rudolph this week without wondering if he is going to lose his spot to a marginal NFL veteran.
