Earlier this offseason, Steelers owner Art Rooney II made it clear the team would prioritize selecting a quarterback early in the 2025 or ’26 draft. GM Omar Khan and Co. then waited until the sixth-round to add a passer (Will Howard) in April while awaiting a commitment on the part of Aaron Rodgers. 
In time for minicamp, Rodgers did indeed ink a one-year deal with the Steelers. The future Hall of Famer views the coming campaign as his last in the NFL, so the team will once again be on the lookout for a new starter next year. It would come as no surprise if the draft was used as a means of filling that vacancy.
Indeed, Mark Kaboly of the Pat McAfee Show notes the Steelers still plan on using their first-round pick in 2026 on a signal-caller. Plenty of time remains for things to change on that front, but a Rodgers retirement would leave Pittsburgh with Howard and Mason Rudolph in place. The latter has been viewed as a backup through much of his Steelers tenure, and upon reuniting with the team in March he was informed of Pittsburgh’s intentions regarding a starting-caliber addition.
Howard’s rookie contract runs through 2028, while Rudolph’s second Steelers stint came about as a result of the two-year deal he signed this spring. Both passers represent reasonable backup options for this season and the next, but free agency and/or the trade market will present opportunities for a veteran QB1 move. Pittsburgh was among the teams interested in Matthew Stafford earlier this offseason and – until it became clear a Rodgers deal was set to take place – Kirk Cousins.
A short-term veteran acquisition could certainly be feasible depending on how the quarterback landscape takes shape next spring. Still, adding a QB via the draft could set the Steelers up for long-term stability and thus provide them with a true Ben Roethlisberger successor. Rodgers is set to become the seventh different Pittsburgh starter since Roethlisberger’s retirement, and even raising the team’s floor on offense in a one-and-done campaign would still leave the need for an eighth in 2026.
Pittsburgh will host next year’s draft, and the possibility of a new starting quarterback being selected would certainly add intrigue regarding the Steelers’ approach to the event. Over the course of the coming campaign, it will be interesting to see if the team’s plans deviate.
This should come to a surprise to no one. With possibly 12 picks next year they’ll be trading up as well to select their qb.
Not Easy to Trade up….
The have 5 Extra Picks between Comp and Dallas’ 3rd.
Assuming Dallas is 12th in the round like last year (Another bad year….)
And they have the Top Comp Pick for rounds 3,4,5,6 (not likely)
DraftTek values those at 391 Points.
If they Pick 21st around in the 1st (Disappointing Year)
That would get them to 10th or 11th based on points when throwing in their 1st with the Dallas and 4 Comp Picks.
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They would need their own 2nd and 3rd in addition to make it to about 5th.
To get to the 2nd/3rd Pick to have the choice for the 2nd Best QB (Best QB always goes #1)…..
They will need to toss in either a Future 1 as well.
So they are looking at a 1, 2,3,3,4,5 and 6 from 2026 and a Future 1 to get into the Top 2/3 to select the 2nd best QB.
Of course if the Steelers regress from last year and are a litle under 500, then things become a little easier with some of their picks gaining value.
They have many picks…Just not many “High Value” extra picks.
Yeah but I assumed it’s assumed they trade 2027s 1st
If you want proof that at this time of the year NFL writers have absolutely nothing to say just read this article.
Trade Watt then for picks.
And Drop Rogers and Start Kyler Thompson. They are not going anywhere next year w/o Watt so just go all in on upping your own draft picks.
Skylar Thompson? I do hope that you’re not serious. Fans think that tanking solves a franchise’s woes, but how many times does that work? For every Suck for Luck, you have two or three forgettable franchise resets (like the Browns’ or Jags’ years long accumulation of picks) that are flashes in the pan. Right now, Pittsburgh has possibly the best team culture in the league, along with, ironically, their rivals in Baltimore. People mock it frequently, but most teams don’t have a history and an expectation to win, and players aren’t just making it up when they talk it about as new signees. Tanking also doesn’t guarantee you a match at QB, either. It’s naturally just hard to get “your guy” there, and a good number of them come outside of the top ten (Mahomes, Herbert, Brees, Brady, Purdy all off the top of my head…plus the Steelers’ current QB).
You’re gambling that, after trying to lose for a season, suddenly you’ll be right and fix it all and bring in a new player. There’s no magic switch; it’s a process. And players aren’t stupid-they’ll know that the goal isn’t to win. “Just suck for a year” sounds great to us, but we don’t have to go out and try to do it. It’s much easier to direct someone to do it. It’s just not how the NFL’s most successful franchises work, even if high picks are undeniably valuable to a team’s success. Losing intentionally sometimes works, but it casts a long shadow afterward that’s difficult to step away from.
Here is the historical issue with “Tanking”.
A Team is in a position they need to tank due to Poor Ownership/Leadership putting them there so tanking does not help because the same poor leadership is there.
The Steelers actually have solid ownership and FO. Maybe not the best, but better than most . If they would have had an above average QB the last few years the rumblings that exist would be gone.
And I admit the QB suggestion was a bit in jest…..It was mostly to point out how hard it would be to move up and grab your QB. Maybe the 2026 Draft Class wiill be flush with QBs that goes 4+ deep with folks they want….But if it does not…..They will have a very hard time moving up and grabbing the 2nd or perhaps even the 3rd best QB if they have an even moderately successful year because the “Extra Capital” they have is not much.
Fair points, but even the “good” leadership can’t flip a switch. They’d have do e the thing that they said they wouldn’t, which is intentionally lose. Players don’t forget that, even if they understand why. How much they hate it will vary, but it’s not a good precedent to set. Losing naturally is one thing, players can get over that, but losing intentionally or “by omission” can really mess with a team’s culture. For every losing season (or game), I estimate, you need two winning ones to build back that confidence and culture.
It’ll be interesting to watch the Cowboys next year, because they’re kind of in this position. Theyl lost, almost intentionally, last year after having a winning culture for the past several. Then, they did their reset (new coach, rather than a new quarterback), and traded for high end WR2 (on paper). Can they try to build a new culture and succeed, flipping the switch so to speak? Maybe. It’s not quite the same as completely bottoming out for a shameless one season race to the finish line (ala the Colts in 2011, or the Bucs in 2014), but it’s got some of the traits.
Third and fourth round picks don’t move the needle at all in the first round. To move from their normal 20 Ish into good quarterback territory it’ll take three first rounders.
Didn’t say they did. But you will have bodies. Next 2027’s first is all but gone in my mind. But knowing you have hopefully the extra 3 and 4 round picks can give you more flexibility
Not on their own, no. They gradually reduced as they move up for other picks. Even if they don’t, the Steelers have outplayed their roster in some areas, and have aging vets in others. They’ll need those picks naturally at other positions.
In a word- Duh.
In other news, water is wet…
Once you get past Klubnick and Nussmeier there really is not an exciting name to me anymore. I guess maybe Iam sleeping on Norris. I have not seen to many of his games maybe I am missing the bat there. Who is even really worth a frost besides these guys? And don’t tell me Allar I think he may be above a bust but definitely below star level. Manning is not a given to be in the draft so I am not talking about him either.
I’m a big Penn State Fan…..And I’m not a Drew Allar Fan. There are physical traits there, but he has still not fully flipped the college switch and the pros is another level. And then there is the fact he is a Penn State QB.
The List of Successful Penn State QBs starts and stops with Kerry Collins.
The next best NFL results would be from Todd Blackledge, which has to be considered a Flop as a 7th overall pick who only lasted a few years with a career completion percentage under 50%. (Ahead of Jim Kelly, Dan Marino, Ken Obrien, and Tony Eason. Only Elway as drafted ahead of him…Talk about a 1st Round QB Class…..and to think the chiefs picked Blackledge….Oof…)
Archie Manning if he comes out. I believe it’s suspected he does not come out, but he clearly has the potential to break out and if he could be slated to go #1 overall and at that point I would not see him coming back. I his season leaves him as the 3rd/4th best qb prospect, he won’t come out….but if he is a clear #1 or at least a clear Top 3 overall pick….I think he will come out.