The relationship between Pittsburgh Steelers starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and rookie Mason Rudolph got out to a bit of a rocky start. However, it seems like they’ve smoothed things over a fair bit since.

As Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com notes, Big Ben sent some praise Rudolph’s way after the rookie's impressive preseason showing against the Eagles where he went 7-of-12 for 101 yards.

“Threw some really good footballs. The moment wasn’t too big for him,” Roethlisberger said. “I think he had fun and enjoyed it.”

Roethlisberger caused quite a stir after he publicly questioned the team's decision to draft Rudolph in the third round instead of a player who could better help them challenge for the title this year. Although, he did later clarify those comments and said he'd be ready to help the rookie out. And based on Ben’s most recent remarks about Rudolph, it seems as if he is really is willing to be a supportive presence.

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As for Rudolph, he’s still splitting third-team reps with Josh Dobbs, while the two find themselves behind veteran backup Landry Jones.

“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.”

Despite his impressive debut, it’ll take something special for Rudolph to overtake Jones in the pecking order by the start of the season. But his promising performance is at least something to build on, and Big Ben’s words of praise should also help him grow in confidence.