There is not currently anyone on the planet who could know for certain who the Pittsburgh Steelers' next franchise quarterback will be. Aaron Rodgers may come to play in the Steel City for a season or two, and Mason Rudolph still has some professional years ahead of him, but as far as an organization-altering signal-caller, there is no current solution on the roster. In the modern NFL, every team needs a quarterback that can completely takeover a game any given week. Since the retirement of Ben Roethlisberger, Head Coach Mike Tomlin and the front office have been searching for a permanent answer at the position.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin (left) and retired quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (right) look on as the team practices at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
Many are curious as to whether or not the Steelers will once again reach for a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. This originally wasn't expected to be the case, but it has recently come up that Top 30 visits with prospects such as Tyler Shough, Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders have happened, or are going to. Some could be quick to assume that Pittsburgh is leaning towards taking a quarterback with the 21st overall pick, but that may not be the main current reason for heavy interest.
It's very important to note that when discussing free agent signings or trade acquisitions, Tomlin has said in the past that he gets to know several different players during the pre-draft process. These guys don't always end up being selected by the Steelers due to the several twists and turns that the draft holds, but positioning in each round is very important in most cases.
This was relevant for Justin Fields, who didn't make his way to the Steel City until four years into his professional career. Tomlin said back in 2024 that he enjoyed watching Fields during the pre-draft process in 2021, but he was a window-shopper because Pittsburgh wasn't bad enough in 2020 to have an early draft selection.
With the 2026 quarterback class expected to be so much stronger, the Steelers could be attempting to get to know some young quarterbacks in case whichever team drafts them in 2025 is ready to move on quickly. Hypothetically, if Sanders goes in the Top 10 in 2025, but underperforms and his team has a chance at Arch Manning or Nico Iamaleava, who's to say a second-year passer wouldn't be dealt?
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Collegiate quarterback prospect Shedeur Sanders speaks to members of the media during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
While a guy like Shough isn't expected to go in the first-round, he is one solid outing during his rookie season form being a trade target. This is similar to what happened with Joe Milton III recently, as he was dealt to the Dallas Cowboys after just one year with the New England Patriots. All he did to earn some trade value was have an above-average outing in Week 18 of his first campaign.
The Steelers need serious help on the defensive line as well as at running back - not to mention wide receiver if George Pickens is gone after 2025. Pittsburgh may be showing interest in quarterbacks so there is a potential backup plan in place if the franchise, once again, does not have a high enough draft selection in round one in 2026.
Tomlin and General Manager Omar Khan could be playing chess, rather than checkers. Franchises are giving up on signal-callers quicker than ever before in the current market. With assistance needed in other areas, the Steelers are certainly doing their due diligence in case a specific prospect falls, but it also could be internally believing that one of them could become available sooner rather than later via trade because of how the 2026 class looks.
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Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin coaching during a practice while General Manager Omar Khan watches over.
Steelers Likely Won't Have Chance To Draft A Franchise Signal-Caller With Tomlin In Charge
The fan base can say what it wants about Tomlin, but he has never had a losing season. It'd be out of character for the team to be so bad in 2025 that an early first-round pick is on the table in 2026. That could rule out a top prospect in a year, but it doesn't mean a consistently bad team won't select one in 2025, and hen be ready to move on from him after his rookie season simply because of how the NFL is.
It took a few years for Tomlin to acknowledge how much he liked Fields back in 2021, but he is hiding nothing currently. If the right prospect is there in a reasonable round, he will be drafted by the Steelers. If not, a lot of research has gone into this class and one of the quarterbacks could come back around sooner rather than later depending on circumstances.
Why do you think the Steelers are showing significant interest in quarterbacks? Do you think it's for this year or down the road? Let us know in the comments below!
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