Garrett Nussmeier’s final season in Baton Rouge turned into a nightmare. After months of speculation following his season-ending benching, Brian Kelly finally admitted that severe injuries derailed his quarterback’s crucial year. Now, responding to his former coach’s candid admission, Nussmeier is opening up about the physical toll he quietly endured.

“It was definitely tough. I mean, it was a difficult season,” LSU’s former QB Garrett Nussmeier said. “I think all the expectations that were placed on me and our team before the season; obviously, we wanted to reach those goals and, you know, fell short.”

“It was very frustrating, you know, a bit of an almost helpless feeling with this injury kind of throughout the year. I wasn’t getting any better, wasn’t making any progress, couldn’t throw the football, and didn’t understand what was going on. It was very frustrating,” he added.

The setbacks compounded quickly. What Kelly initially downplayed as minor knee tendinitis escalated during fall camp when Garrett Nussmeier suffered a severe abdominal injury on just the second day of practice. Trying to play through a sharp, stabbing pain, his throwing mechanics broke down, causing a dramatic drop in accuracy that plagued his final season.

Because of the injury, his throws were not as strong as before, and his accuracy also dropped. Even though he kept playing, he was not at his best. This inconsistency was clear in games like the loss to Ole Miss, where he threw for only 197 yards with one touchdown and one interception. But things turned for the worse again in the Texas A&M game. In the game, he took a hard hit in the first half. This made his stomach injury much worse, and he was clearly in pain, holding his stomach.

Even though he was hurting, he still came back and played in the second half. But that hit made the injury serious, and his body needed proper time to heal. Because of this, he was benched against Alabama and was out for the season. It was tough for Garrett Nussmeier because he entered the season as a top NFL pick and Heisman buzz, but nothing turned out as per his plan.

Even former HC Brian Kelly doubled down on the same lines, talking about how injuries impacted his crucial year.

“The injuries really set him back this year,” Kelly said. He also added, “Staying healthy is going to be really important. If he does, he’s going to deliver the ball to playmakers.”

His stats dropped from 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns in the 2024 season to 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. He was projected as the No. 1 pick for the 2026 season, but ended up being a day 3 pick. Yet despite all the setbacks, he is showing what he is capable of, and one team is eyeing him.

Garrett Nussmeier is gaining interest from the Steelers

Garrett Nussmeier had a tough season last year. But he showed off his skills during the NFL Combine. At first, two of his first four throws were not good. They were his worst throws, and he looked a bit off. Then, after that, he quickly settled down and started throwing much better. He even turned heads at LSU’s Pro Day, where he caught the Pittsburgh Steelers’ attention.

The Steelers need to decide on their quarterback soon because the draft is coming. Right now, Aaron Rodgers has not clearly said what he will do about his future. He might join the team later, but no one knows for sure yet. Because of this, the Steelers cannot wait too long for him.

Moreover, HC Mike McCarthy already knows a lot about Garrett Nussmeier. This is because Nussmeier’s father, Doug Nussmeier, worked with McCarthy on the Dallas Cowboys from 2020 to 2022. So McCarthy understands how Garrett plays, his strengths, and his background. Because of this connection, the Steelers could be a good place for Nussmeier. Which team do you see Nussmeier moving to?

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