Steelers Draft Plans at QB Revealed

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers have an interesting NFL Draft ahead of them, especially when it comes to looking at the future of the quarterback position.

Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette said in his most recent article that regardless of what Aaron Rodgers decides this offseason, the Steelers won't take a quarterback with their first round pick at 21st overall.

Dulac reported that the Steelers only view one quarterback as worth taking in the first round and that is Fernando Mendoza, who won the National Championship with Indiana and the Heisman Award.

While the Steelers won't take a quarterback in the first round, Dulac said that doesn't rule them out from taking one later on, including with one of the four picks they have in the second round and third round.

Who Would the Steelers Take at QB in Later Rounds

The Steelers have a few options on the second day of the draft, if they chose to go with a quarterback.

Pittsburgh held formal interviews with Carson Beck of Miami, Drew Allar of Penn State and Ty Simpson of Alabama.

Beck turns 24 years old in November and just completed his sixth season of college football, bringing Miami to the National Championship Game in 2025. He started all 16 games, threw for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns to 12 interceptions.

Allar played in just six games for the Nittany Lions after suffering a season-ending injury, losing his final three games, which resulted in the firing of head coach James Franklin.

Oct 11, 2025; University Park, Pennsylvania, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions quarterback Drew Allar (15) looks to throw a pass during the first quarter against the Northwestern Wildcats at Beaver Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images | Matthew O'Haren-Imagn Images

He had more success the previous two seasons, throwing for almost 6,000 yards, 49 touchdowns to 10 interceptions, and a 23-6 record, including making the semifinals of the College Football Playoff in 2024.

Simpson put up strong numbers with the Crimson Tide, 3,567 passing yards and 28 touchdowns to five interceptions, but also had his worst game of the season in a 38-3 loss to Indiana in the CFP quarterfinal, completing 12-of-16 passes for 67 yards.

Why The Steelers Are Operating This Way

The Steelers haven't had a long-term quarterback succession plan work out since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 seasons.

Pittsburgh took Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, but he never became their franchise signal-caller.

Pickett had some successful late-drive victories, but struggled overall in his two seasons with the Steelers. He finished with a 14-10 record and completed 446-of-713 passes, 62.6%, for 4,744 yards and 13 touchdowns to 13 interceptions.

Dec 3, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett (8) passes the ball against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images | Philip G. Pavely-Imagn Images

The Steelers have gone to free agency for their last two quarterbacks, including Russell Wilson for the 2024 campaign and Aaron Rodgers last year.

Wilson had a strong start after missing the first six games, winning six of the next seven games, but the Steelers lost their final five games, including a 28-14 road loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card Round.

Rodgers took over last season and had some success, throwing for more than 3,000 yards and 24 touchdowns to seven interceptions, but the Steelers almost missed the playoffs after starting 4-1 and being 9-6 as well.

The Steelers offense played terribly in the 30-6 blowout defeat to the Houston Texas at Acrisure Stadium in the AFC Wild Card Round and Rodgers threw a pick-six and gave up a fumble for a touchdown in the fourth quarter.

With the Steelers hiring Mike McCarthy as their head coach, Rodgers coming back for his 22nd NFL season at 42 years old is the likely choice, but if he doesn't come back, they may look to the draft for another quarterback.

The Steelers could also roll with backup Mason Rudolph and 2025 sixth round pick in Will Howard as well.

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