Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t exactly hide his displeasure at the team’s decision to draft quarterback Mason Rudolph in the third round instead of a player who can help the team win now.

However, Rudolph didn’t take much issue with Big Ben’s comments about him, saying he’d have done the same if he were in the Steelers veteran’s situation.

“If I was Ben, I’d probably say the same thing,” Rudolph said on the NFL Network. “He’s a competitor. Obviously, he has a lot of confidence in himself, like I do and yeah, he’s going to be a future Hall of Famer and I would expect him to say that. So I’m just looking forward to going in there and learning the system, competing, raising my level of play, preparing like I’m the starter even though obviously I won’t be the starter. And just waiting and being prepared for whenever I get my time. Whenever my time comes, to be ready and take advantage of it.”

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Credit must go to the Steelers rookie for handling that response to Roethlisberger’s comments like a seasoned veteran. Even if he might have been peeved by what Big Ben said, he kept his emotions in check, showed a good deal of respect for the veteran, and avoided making a bigger deal of the whole issue.

Rudolph might be in for a rocky next few years if Big Ben does take out his frustration with the organization out on Rudolph. But if the Steelers rookie can do all the things he said about learning and preparing, he should be just fine as a pro even without Big Ben’s mentorship.