James Harrison Warns Steelers About One QB

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers need a quarterback for the 2026 season. With Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, the two quarterbacks under contract for the coming season, the Steelers are likely to continue looking for more experience at the position.

With Anthony Richardson now available, the Steelers could go for a younger option instead, as the young quarterback wants out of Indianapolis and is looking for another chance with a new team.

On the Deebo and Joe podcast, Steelers legend James "Deebo" Harrison broke down what he believes the issue might be if they go forward with Richardson and attempt to land him, warning the team against signing him.

"Here's my issue, and what I'm hearing a little bit of. I guess it's a question of if he really wants to play. Like, if he's ready to put in the work." Harrison said.

He then spoke the fact that he suffered the same injury as Richardson had during the 2025 season, an orbital bone fracture. He provided insight into his recovery time and how he perceived Richardson's injury timeline.

"Two, three weeks at most. They did not need to put that man on IR, so that's telling. So all the stuff that you heard before about his willingness to do whatever needs to be done to actually play and all that, that comes into question." Harrison said.

Could Richardson Work Out?

Like much of what Harrison says, the Steelers will probably take these concerns with a grain of salt, and therefore they will not likely read into it nearly as much as Harrison has. The Steelers are in a unique position this season, as they own a plethora of draft picks and are in a good position to give up draft capital for players in positions of need.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) looks on at the Jumbotron after his fumble resulted in a Houston Texans touchdown during the second half of the NFL Wild Card game at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA on January 12, 2026. | Michael Longo/For USA Today Network-PA / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With that in mind, they could pursue Richardson without feeling like they would be giving up much. The Steelers could use someone with a strong arm, but his accuracy is certainly a cause for concern for a team that is need of a consistent talent at the position. Aaron Rodgers' decision making was certainly not as good as it had been earlier in his career, so maybe an injection of youth could help the team get more modern offensively.

From a financial sense, the Steelers would owe Richardson $10.816 million in 2026, and then would have a club option for 2027.

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