With yet another draft pick in their 2026 coffers, it’s as obvious as ever to assume the Pittsburgh Steelers will aggressively pursue a quarterback in next year’s draft. The team has the picks, the need, and a hopefully stronger QB class, and the backdrop of the event being held in Pittsburgh’s backyard doesn’t hurt, either. At this point, it’s a layup to make the case for 2026 being the Steelers’ big swing at QB.
But has it moved from “need” to “obligation?”
Up front, this is not a critique of Pittsburgh pursuing a high-end quarterback. It’s what I’ve advocated for years. That’s the model to getting out of purgatory. The Steelers have every incentive to try and they’re correct in doing it. No one should, and I don’t think anyone will, argue otherwise. At least, not until we know who populates the class and the debate over which specific quarterbacks Pittsburgh should target begins.
However, the conversation doesn’t end there. Pittsburgh is seemingly moving heaven and earth to stockpile picks for a potential trade. They’re currently expected to have 12 selections in 2026 with upwards of five coming in the first two days. If so, it’ll be for just the third time of the common draft era, 1967-present. The Steelers had five in 1999 (a class that included OLB Joey Porter Sr.) and six in 1976 (a class that brought in TE Bennie Cunningham and OL Ray Pinney).
Pittsburgh could, and probably would, package some of those picks to move up in the draft to target a quarterback. At this point, how could they not? Trading George Pickens hurts the offense in the short term and increases the chances of the Steelers going a ninth year without a playoff win. For once, they are playing a long game of, not resetting but at least reining in their typical all-in nature of trying to win right here, right now.
Again, that’s not meant to be a biting critique. It makes a measure of sense. But it puts plenty of pressure on Pittsburgh to execute the vision. To come away with a quarterback no matter what. After all, adding anything else at the top of the 2026 draft would feel underwhelming. Pittsburgh traded Pickens and stacked its picks for…a cornerback? Even if it’s a good one, it’ll come off as hollow and leave the quarterback question outstanding.
That’s the rub. Any time a team feels backed into a corner in taking a quarterback, or any position, the chance for mistake increases. Pittsburgh’s proven it before. Kevin Colbert and the organization felt like they “had” to take a quarterback in 2022, finding Ben Roethlisberger’s immediate successor and handing the future general manager a succession plan. It failed. The Steelers have been stuck in a six-week long waiting game with Aaron Rodgers, feeling forced to do so because there’s no other viable starting options. In 2016, Pittsburgh was hellbent on selecting a cornerback. William Jackson III was stolen one pick ahead and the Steelers reached for Artie Burns, a move they came to regret.
Come next year’s draft, they could be risking doing the same.
Odds are, the Steelers will be positioned toward the back of the quarterback pecking order. It’s doubtful they’ll be so terrible they’ll come away with a top-five pick that puts them in prime position to take one of the top passers, whomever that may be. They’ll be competing with the Cleveland Browns and everyone else with the same goal of making 2026 the year to tackle quarterback.
Hopefully, the supply matches demand. Maybe 2026 becomes like 2024 that saw six first-round worthy quarterbacks go in the first round. But what if the class is similar to 2023 or 2019 when only three were taken on the first night? That could squeeze Pittsburgh even more. The feeling of needing to take a quarterback coupled with limited options and heavy competition is a dangerous combination.
In this too-early 2026 mock draft, the Browns, New York Jets, Los Angeles Rams, and New Orleans Saints addressed the position in the first round. Out of options, Pittsburgh was left with a defensive lineman. Could the Steelers be frozen out on draft day or feel compelled to go all-in on moving up, no matter the cost? It’s possible.
None of this suggest that the Steelers should not look and pursue. Admittedly, this is a Seinfeld article – one about nothing. It’s a reality worth mentioning without a suggestion of how to overcome it. Truthfully, there’s no way to other than sticking to your grades and selectively targeting prospects, not casting a wide net to take the next-best prospect with “QB” in his title.
My quarterback philosophy remains the same. Identify the top talents you believe are true franchise quarterbacks and aggressively attack. The goal should be to land a quarterback and 2026 has the right ingredients to make it happen. But Pittsburgh has to be aware of its potential pitfalls and the ever-present understanding that drafting a quarterback and drafting a franchise quarterback are two different things.
