Despite having a pressing need at quarterback, the Pittsburgh Steelers opted to beef up their defense in the 2025 NFL Draft, as they only selected two offensive players. They eventually picked Will Howard, but he is seen as more of a long-term backup option than a future starter. Either way, they were clearly ok with trying to find their franchise signal-caller in 2026 while building up the run defense. 2025 was supposedly a very weak class for passers, which had an influence on Pittsburgh's decision making.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan talks on the phone during a practice in the Steel City.
That doesn't mean that they were not intrigued by some of the quarterback options, however. Insider Jeremy Fowler spoke about that recently while making an appearance on ESPN's NFL Live.
"I continue to hear the Steelers remain optimistic here [about the quarterback situation]," said Fowler. "They passed up on Jaxson Dart in the first round: a quarterback they liked. They passed on Shedeur Sanders multiple times: a quarterback I was told they liked as a hard-nosed distributor."
There were numerous reports about the Steelers having a first-round grade on Jaxson Dart. Of course, Pittsburgh passed on him for a potential first-round steal in Derrick Harmon. If the big defensive tackle was not available, who knows if the Steelers would've gone with Dart early on, or if they would have passed on him anyways in favor of a running back or a wide receiver to boost the offense elsewhere.
A few picks after the Steelers took Harmon, the New York Giants traded back into the first round to select Dart, which took away the slim hopes that he would fall to Pittsburgh again, or at least a spot where they could reasonably trade up to acquire him. If the Atlanta Falcons had to give up a future first-round pick to move from 46 to 26, there was no way that General Manager Omar Khan was going to be able to acquire the 25th overall pick for a reasonable price.
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Former Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart during a collegiate game.
Meanwhile, the Steelers weren't the only team that didn't want to take a chance on Shedeur Sanders in the draft. When a team as tolerant of "character concerns" as Pittsburgh wants nothing to do with a potential headcase, there are serious issues surrounding that player. Instead, they passed on him all the way through the fifth round where he was taken, and then selected Howard in the sixth.
With every decision, there is a lot of talk about risk vs. reward. While the Steelers could have taken a decent project in Dart, there were a few risks involved, including the one where their run defense is just as bad as they were in the back end of 2024, along with them being worried about potentially having another Kenny Pickett situation unfolding.
With Sanders, the media distractions and his reported abrasive personality were more than enough risk to make the reward not worth it. It would be difficult to keep the team focused when it keeps hearing noise from and about its probable backup. The reward of having a defense that's not a complete push-over in December is what the Steelers are anticipating with these choices.
Steelers Are Still Left With Their Eternal Question Mark
Of course, risk vs. reward works the other way too. By solidifying their defense, they are taking the risk of having another year of subpar quarterback play. The Aaron Rodgers saga is still going on, and Mason Rudolph had a rough year in 2024.
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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Mason Rudolph during OTAs with the Titans in 2024.
Neither option is very exciting, so the appeal of bringing in a wild card that could raise the team's ceiling was very strong. Instead, 2026 will be Pittsburgh's fifth year of searching for Ben Roethlisberger's heir.
What do you think about the Steelers passing on quarterbacks they liked during the 2025 NFL Draft? Will the risk pay off? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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