Is the Pittsburgh Steelers’ interest in drafting a quarterback real? Absolutely.
There’s a case to be made that the team has simply spent its time exploring its options, keeping the knife sharp as it looks towards a potentially stronger 2026 class. These are valid theories throughout most of the 2025 draft cycle. But with the news of Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders’ Thursday visit on top of everything we know about Pittsburgh’s quarterback interest, it’s impossible to consider this just “due diligence.”
It doesn’t guarantee that Pittsburgh will draft any particular name or select a quarterback in the first round. But it’s increasingly difficult to believe the team will exit this month’s draft without a new passer on its roster.
The arc is similar to 2022, when the Steelers weren’t shy about evaluating every top quarterback prospect. Mike Tomlin and then-GM Kevin Colbert attended four quarterback-centric Pro Days, while six were brought in for pre-draft visits.
In 2025, Tomlin and Omar Khan attended three such Pro Days: Alabama, Ohio State, and Texas, and that’s excluding late-round pick Riley Leonard out of Notre Dame. Three others have come in for visits: Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, Louisville’s Tyler Shough, and Sanders (Update: and soon-to-be four, with Kyle McCord).
In 2022, Pittsburgh came away with Kenny Pickett in the first round. In 2025, who could it be?
Drafting a quarterback gets a player under contract for at least four years. Right now, only Mason Rudolph is signed past 2025, inking a two-year deal. Adding Aaron Rodgers won’t offer much long-term clarity. A rookie would give Pittsburgh someone to develop and evaluate, one internal option to consider without feeling quite as desperate to add externally the way they have multiple times since Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
That person might not be the answer but an option the Steelers would know instead of a brand new face. It would also prevent Pittsburgh from once again overturning their quarterback room in 2026, a path the team has walked each of the last two offseasons. If Rodgers plays for just one season, Pittsburgh goes into next year with Rudolph and their 2025 draft pick, giving them options instead of being backed into a corner. If it’s a first-round pick like Sanders, there’s a natural handing of the baton. If it’s a mid-round selection, the Steelers could take a big swing at quarterback, armed with compensatory picks to help them move up.
Some teams play games. Some try to smokescreen. Not Pittsburgh. Drafting is difficult enough, especially at quarterback. There’s no need to make it harder on yourself trying to throw teams off the scent. And clearly, the Steelers have been far from perfect in evaluating quarterbacks, although it’s largely a new staff taking a look at the ’25 class compared to ’22.
The trends are clear: interest in running back, wide receiver, quarterback, and defensive line. The order in which they’ll be taken is up for debate, but it’s easy to believe they’ll come away with new names at each position by the end of the month.
