Baker Mayfield News is Huge Bummer for Steelers

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers won't be going after Baker Mayfield next offseason. No team will. The 31-year-old quarterback signed a three-year contract extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, keeping him put for the foreseeable future, and probably ending any chance he ever suits up in the black and gold.

ESPN sources: two-time Pro-Bowl selection Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers reached agreement today on a three-year contract extension that will prevent the quarterback from becoming a free agent after this season, per me and @RapSheet. Mayfield had broken off talks as camp… pic.twitter.com/twurowrOyz
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 8, 2026

The news is pretty disappointing for the Steelers, who still don't know what their quarterback plan for the future is. Chances were, Mayfield wasn't first on their list heading into the 2027 offseason, but how 2026 played out could have changed that. So much so that it wouldn't have been surprising if Mayfield was first on their list by next spring.

How would it change that drastically?

Well, the Steelers' top option in 2027 is probably either a first-round rookie that they feel is the next franchise quarterback, or Drew Allar. The 2026 third-round pick showed decent progression during his rookie training camp, and could walk into next summer as the leading candidate to start if the team doesn't bring in anyone else.

Will Howard could also compete with him, and Mason Rudolph may have had a shot as well, although that was less likely.

Here's how Mayfield would've found his way to the top of Pittsburgh's list

Let's say the Steelers find themselves as Super Bowl contenders this season. They get close, either to the AFC Championship game or the Super Bowl itself. However they do it, they leave the season feeling like they're on the verge of a championship.

They would still have T.J. Watt, Cam Heyward and Jalen Ramsey coming back for another season, names like Nick Herbig, Joey Porter Jr. and Keeanu Benton growing into their second contracts (maybe for Porter), and a team they believe in.

They can't just give up and hand the keys to a rookie. At that point, the best option will be a veteran to come in and fill the role of Aaron Rodgers, who will retire after the season.

Mayfield would've been the best option by a mile. A playoff quarterback with 120 career starts and two Pro Bowls in the last three years.

Now, their best veteran option will probably be Rudolph. Besides that, they'll be looking at Anthony Richardson, J.J. McCarthy and a few other players whose teams moved on from them early because they have replaced them.

That's not a group that would fill the shoes of Rodgers. Mayfield would've.

It's a bummer for the Steelers, who will now hope Allar, Howard or a rookie can keep things moving in the right direction in 2027. A challenge that's going to be pretty big, especially for a team that doesn't believe in rebuilds.

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