LATROBE, Pa. -- Ben Roethlisberger likes what he saw from rookie quarterback Mason Rudolph in his Pittsburgh Steelers debut.
Rudolph, whom the Steelers traded up in the third round of the NFL draft to acquire, completed 7 of 12 passes for 101 yards Thursday against the Philadelphia Eagles.
"Threw some really good footballs. The moment wasn't too big for him," Roethlisberger said of the rookie. "I think he had fun and enjoyed it."
The week after the draft, Roethlisberger said on his radio show he was surprised the team drafted another quarterback because "in the third round, you know you can get some really good football players that can help this team now."
Roethlisberger also hedged on mentoring Rudolph, though he later clarified his comments were taken out of context and he has never had plans to be rude to other quarterbacks.
Rudolph, who shares reps with 2017 fourth-round quarterback Josh Dobbs, took the diplomatic approach, saying he would have felt the same way as Roethlisberger if he was in his position.
Now, that storyline has simmered and the quarterbacks seem to be in a good spot. Rudolph has said Roethlisberger helps him along the way with pointers. Now, Rudolph is looking to reach the end zone for the first time.
Dobbs went 9-of-13 for 91 yards and a touchdown Thursday. Sixth-year backup Landry Jones, who threw a 71-yard touchdown to JuJu Smith-Schuster, started the game. Roethlisberger did not play.
"We had some good drives, we just kind of stalled and had a few miscommunications," Rudolph said. "I'm looking forward to getting back to practice today and ironing out the mistakes and looking forward to Green Bay."