Pittsburgh Steelers News & Rumors

Even without Dan Orlovsky pouring fuel on the controversial fire, opinions on Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson vary widely across a spectrum from people who believe he’s QB1 over Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza to people who see him going in the third round. 27 days until the opening night of the three-day event, teams only have a short time left to determine where Simpson will fall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Early on in his 2025 campaign with the Crimson Tide, Simpson looked to be taking the football world by storm as a first-year starter. As the season wore on, injuries seemed to contribute to some regression in his performance, leading to some concern about both his ability and durability. Early draft projections pegged Mendoza as the only likely Day 1 passer, but the need for a quarterback helped push Simpson’s name up into first-round consideration.

One popular projection saw Simpson going to the Steelers at 21st overall. On its surface, the move made sense, setting up the inexperienced starter to sit and learn for a year behind veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who is widely expected to re-sign with Pittsburgh to play once again under new head coach Mike McCarthy. According to Mike DeFabo of The Athletic, though, Simpson’s lack of starting experience “will almost certainly deter Pittsburgh from picking him up in the first round.”

If Simpson slips far enough, DeFabo thinks the Steelers could reconsider, but how far he needs to fall DeFabo isn’t ready to say. Former contributor at The Athletic Mark Kaboly, now a Steelers correspondent for The Pat McAfee Show, believes Pittsburgh may be targeting a third wide receiver behind D.K. Metcalf and Michael Pittman in the first three rounds, though he doesn’t feel confident Rodgers would get much contribution from a rookie pass catcher, given his preference to target more-polished veterans.

For Simpson, though, even today, ESPN’s trio of Matt Miller, Jordan Reid, and Field Yates illustrated beautifully the array of opinions on Simpson. Asked what percentage chance Simpson has of going on Day 1, Miller answered 25%, Reid said 75%, and Yates opted for 90%. All three contributors for the network seemed to agree that, with the current draft order, no team makes sense for Simpson at their current draft position, but Reid and Yates answered with the belief that a team that is a good fit would find a way to trade back into the first round to secure his services, namely the Cardinals.

Jeff Howe of The Athletic attended Simpson’s pro day and noted that teams do like what they see. Specifically, Simpson’s intangible qualities seem to be a big selling point with some commenting that Simpson could eventually coach after his career as a player ends. His pro comps to two 26-year-olds even highlight his lack of experience and uncertain draft stock. He’s been comped to Bo Nix, a new starter in the NFL, and Brock Purdy, who was drafted 250 picks later than Nix was in their respective drafts.

Whatever the case, Simpson will almost certainly find his way to the NFL within the next 30 days. It will be fascinating to see what further developments alter opinions on the 23-year-old leading up to the draft.