Though we already know Pittsburgh has submitted a bid to host the 2026 or 2027 NFL Draft, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell confirmed that the city has a realistic chance to host one of the upcoming events. Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show Friday, Goodell was asked by Steelers fan Tone Digs about Pittsburgh getting the chance to host a future draft.
“They’re in the mix,” Goodell told the show. “I’ll tell you that. So that may be coming soon.”
In February, Pittsburgh officially announced its bid to host the draft. Rumors over the city being a future destination began last fall with NFL personnel reportedly scouting locations to possibly hold the event. Rumors continued throughout the season with Team President Art Rooney II confirming the team’s interest, a goal he’s stated since the NFL began shopping locations after holding the draft at Radio City Music Hall in New York for decades.
Though the timetable isn’t official, Rooney told reporters earlier this year that he expects the league to announce future draft locations during the next set of owners meetings in May. The NFL hasn’t always shown a consistent timetable in announcing where the next drafts will take place. In the past, those announcements have come in March, during the draft, and in May. Next year’s draft location is already known. It will be held in Green Bay.
Roger Goodell said league interest in the draft has steadily increased and has become one of the NFL’s most popular events.
“There’s almost as much demand for the draft as there is for the Super Bowl. Because there’s so many cities [that] can’t host the Super Bowl but they can do the draft. It’s getting to the point where the draft, it’s not in the same league, but it’s pretty darn close.”
Pittsburgh’s combination of a winter city and open stadium makes it a non-viable option for the Super Bowl. But the draft? The city can make that happen.
Hosting the NFL draft would become a marquee sporting event and economic boon to the city. This year’s draft is being held in Detroit with a record 275,000 fans attending just on Night 1. Based on Goodell’s comments, in a couple of years, Pittsburgh might get the chance to top that number.
