PHOTOS BY KARL ROSER | PITTSBURGH STEELERS

Mike Tomlin’s 2023 post-mortem more than likely included some things a lot of people probably wanted to hear, especially Tomlin’s confirmation that the new offensive coordinator will come from outside the organization.

Wherever they’re headed from here, the journey absolutely, positively had to start there.

The bigger deal was Tomlin acknowledging on Thursday afternoon that the Steelers’ perception of Mason Rudolph has unquestionably changed.

“Oh, certainly,” Tomlin assessed in a volume and tone that suggested a perceptible level of excitement. “I don’t think that any of us can deny what we’ve seen over the last month or so. I cannot underscore how impressive it is to be ready. Forget performance, man, to be ready to deliver, and he was and that preparedness showed.

“And so certainly we’re less speculative about his capabilities because there’s evidence of it, and evidence of it in tough circumstances.”

What that means for the quarterback position in 2024 remains to be seen.

But the narrative has most definitely changed.

Kenny Pickett is still No. 1 and still inspires confidence.

But what Pickett can and will ultimately be for the Steelers is still mostly theory two years into his Steelers’ tenure.

And Rudolph’s capabilities are now on tape, capabilities that may have only scratched the surface regarding the potential impact of his game.

“Certainly it’s a big year for him,” Tomlin opined regarding Pickett in 2024. “We met this morning and we acknowledged that. It is a huge year for him.

“But I’m also excited about just watching him wear that component of it. I know how he’s wired and built and I’m excited about watching him attack it.”

Pickett didn’t attack much in 2023.

Neither did Mitch Trubisky, at least not with enough consistency or accuracy.

Rudolph, thrust into the breach on Dec. 23 against Cincinnati because the Steelers were out of options, hit the ground running somehow and in the process jump-started what had been a dormant offense.

He trusted what he saw and he threw the ball where his instincts and preparation told him it should be delivered. His wide receivers, as much a part of the problem as they had been a part of the solution to that juncture, began consistently making plays at the other end of Rudolph’s passes. The running game opened up, games were won and the Steelers’ offense, in Rudolph’s estimation, began demonstrating chemistry and genuine love for one another.

All of that wasn’t quite enough in Buffalo.

But neither was the 31-17 playoff loss the Steelers’ absorbed nor Rudolph’s contributions toward that end enough to dampen any of the enthusiasm Rudolph had generated regarding what he might be capable of should the Steelers prove content to continue giving him the ball.

As Tomlin stated, “I don’t think any of us can deny what we’ve seen.”

He also said he thinks next year’s starting quarterback is currently on the roster, for what that’s worth at this way-too-early offseason juncture.

But the wildcards in a potential Pickett-Rudolph battle royal in Latrobe are twofold.

No. 1, Rudolph is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, a little detail Tomlin mentioned three times on Thursday afternoon.

And No. 2, the new offensive coordinator will need to have, among other things, a perceived ability to work with and develop quarterbacks and a “vision” for what the Steelers offense might look like moving forward.

“I’m open to kind of learning through this process and seeing what people have to say about their visions,” Tomlin said.

What if the guy who eventually becomes that guy sees what we’ve all seen?

Pickett’s still No. 1 on the depth chart, but his name is written in pencil.

The Rudolph saga, meanwhile, may be just beginning to unfold.