Pittsburgh is set to host the 2026 NFL Draft, and the Steelers’ Dan Rooney is confident it will be a very, very big deal for the city. It is the first time the Steelers have had the opportunity to host the event, and they feel well prepared. After all, they have been working on it for years, studying how other host cities manage the extravaganza. And they anticipate quite a turnout, not just from Steelers fans but from the NFL community at large.
“I love the opportunity we have to show off our city”, Rooney said of the Steelers and Pittsburgh hosting the draft while speaking to WTAE. “I think it’s just the number of people that will travel to our region to experience this event. It’s likely to be the biggest event in Pittsburgh’s history”.
The Steelers and the Rooney family have wanted to host the draft for some time, finally winning a bid. They are one of the flagship franchises, of course, but cold-weather cities usually lose out. Of course, Green Bay hosted the draft this past weekend, and the Steelers were watching.
“You prepare your best for that. But in terms of hosting that many people in our great city, we’re doing our homework right now in Green Bay, and we’ve done that in other draft cities”, the Steelers’ director of business development and strategy said. Last Friday, Rooney’s father, president Art Rooney II, said he expects a lot more people in Pittsburgh than in Green Bay.
This past weekend Green Bay hosted roughly 600,000 fans, though that did not set a record, which his over 700,000. I don’t know that the Steelers and realistically expect to break records in Pittsburgh, but you never know. While the Green Bay area is passionate about football, Pittsburgh arguably has a geographic advantage.
Steelers fans love their football, but how many will turn out for a draft in Pittsburgh? Obviously, quite a number of you are in Pittsburgh—how many of you would strongly consider attending? Many anticipate that they will draft a quarterback in the first round, so that’s always a big deal. And they expect to have extra draft picks, too, which is another selling point. That also makes it more probable that they actually land a potential franchise quarterback.
The Steelers are not alone in coordinating a draft in Pittsburgh. As Dan Rooney explained, “The NFL really takes [the] lead in planning the draft logistically. They have fantastic expertise, so we’re highly confident that Pittsburgh will be a smash hit next spring”.
For those who might not be fully up to speed, the individual referenced here is Dan Rooney, also known as Daniel Martin Rooney. He is the son of current Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II, whose father was also Dan Rooney. As of now, though, they list this one as Dan Rooney on their website. And Dan Rooney Jr., vice president of player personnel, is Art Rooney II’s brother. Until this Dan is better known, an intermittent explanation of who he is might be wise. At this point, he is the logical successor whenever Art decides to retire—which may be a while.
