The Pittsburgh Steelers have some clear weak points to address on the roster, but the most notable is the quarterback position. The fan base is going to continue to speculate about the position group until a new player is brought in or Aaron Rodgers decides to sign. The four-time league MVP is still making his mind up on retirement, and it seems like a complete toss up on what he will end up deciding to do. Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the draft class in 2026 is not very strong at quarterback, and the franchise is nowhere near landing a young franchise quarterback through the event. General Manager Omar Khan will likely have to go through other avenues to fix the position.
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Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers chats with former head coach Mike Tomlin during a home game in Pittsburgh in the 2025 NFL preseason.
If Rodgers decides to return to Pittsburgh, the Steelers could move forward with the same exact quarterback room that the team had in 2025. However, if he decides to retire or play elsewhere, Khan is going to have to explore some options. Pittsburgh probably would not want to make a splash in free agency for a guy like Malik Willis, and trading for a veteran like Kyler Murray or Kirk Cousins seems like a lateral move. However, bringing in young competition for Will Howard might be the right choice.
Ben Solak of ESPN recently wrote an article where he spoke about the weakness of the quarterback position both in free agency and in the 2026 NFL Draft. This is bad news for Pittsburgh, but he did point out one silver-lining about the current quarterback landscape.
"The only thing I like about this quarterback class (sans Fernando Mendoza) is how many rookie contract dart throws are floating around on various rosters," Solak wrote. "The list includes Anthony Richardson Sr., Will Levis, Spencer Rattler, Tanner McKee -- and even [Jalen] Milroe now that [Sam] Darnold has proved he's the guy in Seattle. For the many teams that will be stuck with an uninspiring veteran this offseason, it isn't hard to find the desperate prayer of a young passer to pair with him."
Anthony Richardson Sr., Spencer Rattler, and Tanner McKee potentially being traded to Pittsburgh has been talked about. It seems like a sure thing that Richardson will be playing elsewhere in 2026, but the the other two could stick around at their respective franchises as somewhat reliable backups.
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Seahawks' Jalen Milroe warms up prior to a home playoff game in Seattle near the end of the 2025 season.
Milroe was drafted by the Seahawks in the third round of the 2025 NFL Draft as some sort of insurance for what was seen as a somewhat risky free agency pickup in Sam Darnold. It is now safe to say that Darnold has proved that he is the leader of the franchise in Seattle after winning Super Bowl LX, which may make a guy Milroe expendable via trade. The other quarterback in Seattle is Drew Lock, and he served as the primary backup throughout the season.
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Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe looks on during the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.
Steelers Can Pay The Price For Jalen Milroe
Pittsburgh has plenty of expendable draft capital in the 2026 NFL Draft, and the organization could certainly throw enough draft picks at Seattle to acquire Milroe. He could come in to compete with Howard for the job, assuming Rodgers does not decide to come back to the Steelers. This would probably be a great move for the Steelers as the franchise would be bringing in more than one young option that could end up being the franchise quarterback. Milroe would also be coming from a winning culture, which could be valuable in the locker room.
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