PITTSBURGH — (WPXI) – Mason Rudolph has spent four-plus seasons being whatever the Pittsburgh Steelers have asked him to be. Never raising a fuss. Never saying the wrong thing. Third-string quarterback. Backup to Ben Roethlisberger. Spot starter. Benched in favor of an undrafted free agent. Agreeing to a one-year extension in hopes of being Roethlisberger’s successor only to have the Steelers spend last spring signing one quarterback and drafting another. The years change. Rudolph’s role too. His attitude, outwardly anyway, has not. So why start now? Of course, Rudolph would love to get the nod if rookie Kenny Pickett isn’t cleared from the concussion protocol in time to play Sunday at Carolina. Rudolph has been down this road before, however. Several times in fact. So no, he’s not getting ahead of himself even after splitting first-team snaps with Mitch Trubisky during practice on Wednesday. After spending the past three months watching from the sideline on game days after being made inactive, working with the ones (starters) was a pleasant break. And that’s it. “It was good to get some reps again and shake the rust off and be out there with the guys,” Rudolph said. “It was fun.” Asked if he viewed Mike Tomlin’s declining to announce a starter between himself or Mitch Trubisky — who has served as the primary backup after Pickett took over at halftime of Week 4 — if Pickett can’t go as a token of respect, the ever-politically correct Rudolph demurred. “I don’t read into it that much,” he said. “I just hear the decision has not been made so I need to prepare like I’m going to be the guy.”