Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph says he's grown accustomed to playing with a playoff-type urgency as a backup.
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00:00 It's been 10 years, I guess, since you played an actual playoff game.
00:03 Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:06 I mean, I get the point, but I don't really break it down like that in my head.
00:10 Shoot, I mean, each game you get to play in the NFL is a freaking playoff game.
00:14 So that's the way I look at it.
00:18 As a backup quarterback, most of my career, you're very urgent.
00:22 There's a sense of urgency whenever you get to play.
00:24 So that's the approach.
00:28 You mentioned not getting a lot of interest in the free agency market last spring.
00:33 Things may be different for you in the next few months.
00:35 Does it take a certain sense of mental rigor to sort of separate that from this moment?
00:41 Or is it just not a big deal?
00:43 Not really.
00:44 I mean, I'm staying busy.
00:45 You know, when you're taking reps and, you know, at sort of the center point of the prep
00:52 and the game plan, you stay busy.
00:54 And there's no – occasionally there's times to think about big picture, but I try not
01:02 to because it's – the only thing that matters is today's practice.
01:05 That urgency you mentioned where it feels like every NFL game you play is a playoff
01:09 game as a backup that's coming in, does that help you then in this situation?
01:14 Because while you haven't started in a playoff game, you've treated almost each
01:17 individual game like a playoff game.
01:20 Yes, I think so.
01:21 But once again, you know, I guess the COVID game in 2020 against the Browns at home, no
01:31 fans in the stands, you didn't get the same environment.
01:36 But you know, in Kansas City you could tell a difference in just the excitement.
01:41 So yes, I think that mindset's useful.
01:45 But it'll be – we know it'll be loud and it'll be a fun place to play.