Though the Pittsburgh Steelers seem more inclined to trade down and acquire draft capital lost in the DK Metcalf trade, former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum believes the team could be making an aggressive move up the boards instead. Targeting Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, Tannenbaum thinks Pittsburgh could move from No. 21 to No. 10 in a draft day deal with the Chicago Bears, even if the Steelers land Aaron Rodgers. An outcome more dubious by the day.
“Do you wanna win for today and develop for tomorrow?” Tannenbaum told WTAE’s Andrew Stockey in a Wednesday interview. “I look for a trade to me was Pittsburgh coming up from 21 to the Bears at 10 if Shedeur Sanders is still there. Get Shedeur into your program. Try to go as far as you can with Aaron Rodgers this year and know you have his successor already in your program.”
The Steelers have traded with the Bears before. In 2022, Pittsburgh sent them WR Chase Claypool. Ahead of the 2024 season, Chicago dealt QB Justin Fields.
Sanders’ draft stock is one of the draft’s biggest wild cards and more interesting storylines. The New York Giants could still take him at No. 3, though insiders believe it’s more likely they will trade up for him should he slide next Thursday night. The New Orleans Saints are the favorite to take him, but there’s a prevailing wisdom they will pass, setting up the chance for Sanders to slide.
Pittsburgh could serve as Sanders’ backstop. Such a trade would be similar to what the Steelers did in 2019, making a deal with the Denver Broncos to move from No. 20 to No. 10 and selecting Michigan LB Devin Bush. In that trade, Pittsburgh gave up No. 20, their second-round pick (No. 52), and a 2020 third-round selection. A hefty price to pay and a move that didn’t pan out; Bush was a bust who lasted just four seasons.
Still, that shouldn’t deter Pittsburgh from being aggressive if they truly believe Sanders is the answer. He could sit behind a veteran like Rodgers for a season, ready to take the baton and give Pittsburgh clarity going into 2026. Otherwise, they could enter another offseason with a new and uncertain quarterback situation.
“That would be by far their best situation at quarterback since Ben left.”
With limited draft picks, aggressively moving up for Sanders means Pittsburgh can’t miss. Such a trade with Chicago would be difficult to pull off. The Steelers don’t have a second-round pick and only one Day Two selection at No. 83. It might be cleanest for Pittsburgh to send their 2026 first-rounder to Chicago, preserving the rest of this year’s capital to address other needs. If Sanders hits, the high cost is worth it. No one remembers what the Kansas City Chiefs gave up for Patrick Mahomes or the Buffalo Bills for Josh Allen. If Sanders busts, the Steelers will start over with limited resources.
A Steelers and Bears trade like the one Tannenbaum outlined is unlikely to occur. If Pittsburgh selects Sanders, it’ll most plausibly occur with a minor trade-up a handful of spots or the team sitting at No. 21 and letting Sanders fall into their laps. That comes with the risk of another team jumping them, but if quarterback-needy teams like the Giants and Saints let him go by, it could be a sign the league isn’t high on his chances of success.
