The Pittsburgh Steelers just revealed their plans for the 2026 NFL Draft, particularly regarding the quarterback position. With the No. 21 pick, the team has several options to consider, such as offensive guard, linebacker, wide receiver, safety, and nose tackle. However, statements from owner Art Rooney indicate that selecting a quarterback isn’t their main priority as they keep waiting on Aaron Rodgers.
Pittsburgh has looked into several quarterbacks, as reported by ESPN’s Brooke Pryor, but that effort might not lead to a pick in the first round.
“They believe Aaron Rodgers will ultimately return for another season,” according to Pryor.
He also added that the Steelers want to target the best player available or add more strength in the trenches. So, in Steel City, it looks like everything depends on Rodgers. After all, there’s also a hope of reuniting with his old coach from the Green Bay Packers, Mike McCarthy. Many fans thought they would know what Rodgers would decide by early March, but that time came and went without any clear answers, leaving Steelers Nation still in doubt.
It feels like déjà vu at Acrisure Stadium. Last offseason, the team didn’t have a clear choice at quarterback, but they were acting like Rodgers would show up eventually, and he did. This time again, their belief that Rodgers will eventually return makes it seem less urgent to spend big on a young quarterback in the draft right now.
Although Rodgers is not one of the top quarterbacks in the league anymore, he still has something to offer. He wrapped up the season with 3,322 passing yards and a completion rate of 65.7 percent, throwing for 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Those stats are pretty good, even if they aren’t at the MVP level anymore. Still, that performance shows the Steelers believe he can manage the offense well.
More importantly, Rooney’s recent comments support this idea, highlighting that Pittsburgh’s draft plans are closely linked to Rodgers’ anticipated comeback.
Art Rooney’s draft stance signals the Steelers’ patience with Aaron Rodgers
The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into draft week with just Mason Rudolph and Will Howard as their quarterbacks. Meanwhile, the front office is still holding out hope for Aaron Rodgers, but time is running out as the draft night approaches.
Still, speaking to Andrew Stockey of WTAE in Pittsburgh, Art Rooney doubled down on Rodgers’ return.
“I think I can tell you one thing, it’s probably not going to be a quarterback,” Rooney said. “But beyond that it’s wide open. Of course, it depends on what happens in front of us. But, you know, I think it’ll be exciting to build. Interesting. A lot of interesting players in this Draft. And, I think one of the — not only our first pick, but as you probably know, we have 12 selections in this draft. So we have an opportunity to really add some talent to the roster.”
Meanwhile, there were some reports about the Steelers possibly being interested in Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson. However, it appeared that there was little interest, as neither Mike McCarthy nor Omar Khan attended his pro day, and they excluded Simpson from their pre-draft meetings.
Now, for the fans at Acrisure Stadium, the attention turns to how the draft unfolds. Rooney hasn’t committed to any specific position, as they could go for a wide receiver, bolster the offensive line, or strengthen the secondary.
But one thing is clear: if the quarterback issue lingers this season too, the draft conversation could look very different by 2027.
