Steelers Are Suffering From Sam Darnold Fever

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are waiting to hear from Aaron Rodgers on his 2026 playing decision. The expectation is that he'll return to play for another season, donning the black and gold when he does.

No one seems to be happy about it, though. And in almost every quarterback conversation involving the Steelers, there seems to be the same narrative: that the Steelers need to go young now and that names like Malik Willis and trading for Mac Jones are much better options.

Truthfully, they might be. The Steelers do need to go young at some point at the quarterback position. It probably doesn't need to be this year, though.

Instead, they can be patient and wait until a much better NFL Draft class in 2027. There, they can manipulate their picks and try to move up for the prospect they want, and the list is expected to be significantly better in terms of talent than it is in 2026.

In that circumstance, Rodgers makes the most sense as a win-now quarterback. But people don't see it that way.

The Sam Darnold Curse

The NFL is going to be looking for their next Sam Darnold after the failed Jets QB led the Seattle Seahawks to the Super Bowl this season. People are already comparing names to Darnold, trying to guess the next game managing quarterback to leap to a new team and become a star.

Maybe that'll happen, and maybe Willis, Jones, Zach Wilson or any other available QB is going to become the next star. Maybe Kenny Pickett becomes that star.

But for every Darnold, there are a dozen Justin Fields's or Mitch Trubisky's. The Steelers have already experienced that - twice - and don't need to do it again. Which again, makes it exciting to find the young available free agent, but much safer to go with Rodgers.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitch Trubisky (10) draws back to pass Saturday, Dec. 16, 2023, during a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. | Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Only Excuse to Move On From Rodgers

For the Steelers, it doesn't make sense to move in any other direction besides Rodgers unless you're staying in-house.

Will Howard may only be a sixth-round pick, and his chances of becoming a franchise quarterback are low. The Steelers like what they've got in the young passer, though, and if giving him a chance to prove himself before next year's draft is an option, it makes sense.

If the Steelers wanted to give a second-year quarterback that won't cost any extra salary cap space a chance, they should have everyone's support. The best case scenario is that Howard turns into the next Brock Purdy. The worst case scenario is that they crash and burn but didn't harm the future in any way.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Will Howard — Pittsburgh Steelers

That's the goal of the Steelers. All they want to do in 2026 is protect 2027. If they want to remain competitive in the meantime, Rodgers is their easy answer. He gives them a shot at the playoffs and was pretty impressive at times last season.

Outside of that, it's about making sure the doors are open for their next rookie QB. Which means trying to find the next Sam Darnold makes very little sense for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

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