The Pittsburgh Steelers may have changed their focus away from the NFL Draft and towards the start of the 2024 season. But it appears however, that the NFL Draft may not be done with Pittsburgh.
John McGonigal / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
The Pittsburgh Steelers selected quarterback Kenny Pickett with the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The annual event, after being held primarily in New York City for years, has begun to move from city to city over the past few seasons. This allows the city that hosts to show off its culture and provides the league an opportunity to delve deeper into its communities, allowing the NFL to grow. With recent stops in Kansas City, Tennessee, and now Detroit, it now appears that the draft will be headed to the Steel City.
As league meetings continue to happen throughout the offseason, NFL Insider Jonathan Jones of CBS Sports, continues to confirm these reports per his post on X.
"At the NFL league meetings here in Nashville, there's a strong sense that Pittsburgh will be awarded the 2026 NFL Draft, sources tell NFL on CBS. Announcement later today is possible."
The league has since officially confirmed that the Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft, and it will be the second time in the city's history, and the first time in over 80 years. The last time that Pittsburgh hosted was December of 1947 for the 1948 draft, where in the Fort Pitt Hotel, future Hall of Famers like Bobby Layne and Lou Creekmur entered the league.
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Steelers Hall of Fame Quarterback Bobby Layne
The Impact The Draft Will Have On The Steelers And Their City
Hosting the draft goes deeper then simply having the stage setup in your city, and the superstars of tomorrow having their lives changed forever. It also holds an impact on both the team and the community they play for, with the community getting a big boost.
During the draft's time in Detroit this offseason, it was estimated that the draft brought in over $97 million to the city and its businesses, and over 775,000 fans over the three day span. In a town like Pittsburgh with a fantastic downtown scene with great restaurants, these numbers will likely only go up.
Karl roser / pittsburgh steelers
A view of Acrisure Stadium overlooking the downtown Pittsburgh skyline.
The other big boost goes to the team themselves, as they seem to enjoy putting on a show in the regular season to build the hype headed into their draft. Over the past four seasons, the teams that have hosted the NFL Draft have finished the season heading into hosting with a combined record of 44-24, including multiple conference champions and a Super Bowl by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2023.
If this is any indication, not only would it be wise to buy stock in the Green Bay Packers, who host the NFL Draft in 2025, but to hop on the Steelers hype train as well for the next few seasons. The Steelers have already begun the process of changing their approach to win the ever elusive Lombardi Trophy, but it's possible that the draft coming to Pittsburgh could be exactly the boost the team needs as they head into the season with the toughest schedule in football.
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