First Call: Ryan Clark doubts Mason Rudolph; ex-Steelers assistant hired in Green Bay; Aaron Donald to keep playing?

Friday’s “First Call” has a less-than-optimistic opinion on the Steelers offense from one of the team’s former players.

We have updates on the post-Super Bowl retirement talk surrounding Sean McVay and Penn Hills alum Aaron Donald. A former Steelers assistant may factor into the Aaron Rodgers situation in Green Bay.

And we look at the Penguins’ rugged schedule over the next month.

I’ll be back

There’s been a lot of attention about the prospect of Los Angeles Rams star Aaron Donald potentially retiring now that he has won the Super Bowl.

The Pitt product suggested during a pregame interview on NBC that, if the Rams won, he may hang up his cleats. They ended up beating the Bengals on Super Bowl Sunday, so the speculation has swirled ever since.

But Donald told TMZ.com, “If we bring everybody back, I’m back. Odell Beckham, Von Miller, we bring them guys back, let’s make it happen.”

Beckham and Miller are both free agents. But Beckham’s torn ACL may sideline him for 2022 even if he does re-sign with the Rams.

Meanwhile, there had also been rumors that Rams coach Sean McVay may retire for a television job. But via her Instagram account, McVay’s fiancée, Veronika Khomyn, said that McVay is not going anywhere.

“Finally get my man back,” Khomyn said on Wednesday. “And no. He is NOT retiring!!!”

The New York Post reported after the Super Bowl that there may be some mutual interest between McVay and some networks, but that may have been contract-leveraging from the 36-year-old head coach.

He of little faith

ESPN analyst Ryan Clark doubts that Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph is going to be a success as Ben Roethlisberger’s replacement.

Appearing on 93.7 The Fan this week, the former Steelers safety seemed dubious of Rudolph’s chances.

“I don’t believe that Mason Rudolph is the quarterback. I don’t believe Dwayne Haskins is the quarterback,” Clark said to “The PM Team” Wednesday afternoon. “So is there a free agent that can get you to compete?”

.@Realrclark25 joined @ThePoniExpress & @ChrisMuellerPGH for the final time this season.

He provided a checklist for the Steelers to get back to a championship level.

Hear the whole segment. ⬇️

/: https://t.co/S6wRv7UmjU
: https://t.co/jwuBGtnqJG pic.twitter.com/rpfnTca0uB

— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) February 17, 2022

Clark insists that he has watched tape of Rudolph, “And it’s not good.”

“The problem with the Pittsburgh Steelers is, over the last five years, they’ve been able to compete without having truly elite quarterback play,” Clark admitted. “Just compete, though. There were never any of those teams that we really thought were championship caliber. Including this year even though they got to the playoffs.”

Clark doesn’t appear to be sold on the draft options this year either.

“Do we believe Kenny Pickett? Do we believe Malik Willis, any of these guys are first day starters. Matt Corral? I really don’t know. I really don’t think so either,” Clark said. “I really don’t believe that guy is in the building. So what do you do in free agency to help yourself? Do you get a middle of the road, middle aged quarterback that’s good enough to be at least as good as Ben was last year and say ‘We tide ourselves over until one of these rookies can play.’ That’s the first thing you have to do.”

Clark advanced another agenda for the Steelers front office.

“I think you have to continue to build up front along the offensive line,” Clark insisted. “At some point, get some elite pedigree along the offensive line. Maurkice Pouncey? The reason he is going to be a Hall of Famer is that he had elite pedigree. David DeCastro, elite pedigree. Alan Faneca, elite pedigree.”

For the most part, the Steelers starting offensive line last year was made up of two third-rounders (Chuks Okorafor and Kendrick Green), two fourth-rounders (Kevin Dotson and Dan Moore Jr.), and a free agent on his third team in Trai Turner.

What next?

The Penguins win streak was halted at four games Thursday in Toronto. They lost to the Maple Leafs 4-1.

That means the Penguins remain stuck on 70 points, which is still good enough to lead the Metropolitan Division. The Leafs are currently in a playoff spot, too, with 67 points. That’s third in the Atlantic.

Thursday night’s game was just the start of a tough run for coach Mike Sullivan’s team. The Pens next play Sunday afternoon at home against the Carolina Hurricanes, the second-place team in the Metro, with 68 points.

That contest kicks off an 11-game stretch between Sunday and March 17 that features nine opponents currently in a playoff position. The Penguins and Hurricanes play each other three times over that period.

The only teams the Penguins play during the next month who are not currently in a playoff spot are the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 24 and the Columbus Blue Jackets on Feb. 27.

I see what they did there

According to Aaron Wilson of the Pro Football Network, the Green Bay Packers are hiring Bishop Canevin alum Tom Clements as their quarterbacks coach for a second time.

Clements was a quarterback coach for the Steelers from 2001-03, overseeing Kordell Stewart as he went to the Pro Bowl and Tommy Maddox as he became Comeback player of the Year. Then he went to Buffalo to be the Bills offensive coordinator.

After two years there, Clements wound up in Green Bay and was the quarterbacks coach there from 2006-11. He became the offensive coordinator for the 2012-14 seasons. Then he was named assistant head coach for 2015 and 2016.

So that means Clements was a coach with Rodgers for the first nine years of the quarterback’s career as a starter. This could be a move possibly intended to entice Rodgers to stay with the Packers instead of going elsewhere by forcing a trade.

Clements turns 69 in June. He was last on an NFL staff with the Arizona Cardinals in 2020 as the quarterbacks coach.