Steelers Interest Level In Top Free Agency Malik Willis Will Surprise Most

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a similar situation to where they sat around this time last year. Pittsburgh still awaits the decision from its veteran quarterback, Aaron Rodgers. He helped lead the Steelers to an AFC North title and playoff berth, where they lost handily to the Houston Texans. The Black and Gold are still unsure of their quarterback situation, even as free agency has already begun in full swing. The Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan have been speculated to have given Rodgers a deadline; however, free agent quarterbacks are dropping like flies. 

The Steelers want to continue to remain competitive in 2026, according to their owner, Art Rooney II. To do that, naturally, they need a capable quarterback. With no signs so far from Rodgers, it would be a wise choice to look into other options to take command under center. Surprisingly, the team may not have even checked in on arguably the free agency class' top quarterback target.

On a recent segment during 93.7 The Fan, Steelers beat writer Ray Fittipaldo was asked if the Steelers ever planned on meeting with or targeting one of the top free agent quarterbacks, Malik Willis. 

"Not to my knowledge, no. I don't know if they even considered that in the least. I don't think that was ever in their plans," said Fittipaldo. 

Willis was a huge target for teams that wanted to take a chance on young talent with a lot of upside, despite not getting a ton of quality reps in the NFL. The Miami Dolphins ended up signing the young quarterback to a pretty expensive contract. However, there were rumors ahead of the 2026 NFL Combine that Willis could fetch somewhere between $30 million and $40 million per year. The Steelers would've taken a huge risk in that contract, but Willis received less than that number. Either way, Pittsburgh has been reluctant to give free agent quarterbacks big money in recent years, and especially in re-signing them if they don't perform to their standards -- like with Justin Fields. 

Pittsburgh seemingly not even batting an eye at Willis proves that they're likely all in on Rodgers, but what happens if he decides not to come back? The Steelers don't seem incredibly active in the free agency class at the position, and the quarterback draft class is considered by many to be very weak. This could prove to be a problem for the Steelers, as they're seemingly committed to remaining competitive in 2026. However, the Steelers may have missed out on potentially an incredibly talented young quarterback.

With the price tag not being as high as many imagined, Willis may not have been a bad option for Pittsburgh. The young gunslinger proved that he could be trusted as a solid backup and showed flashes of starter potential as a Green Bay Packers QB. Willis combines a strong arm with a ton of mobility, which opens up offenses to use him as a runner. He makes opposing defenses respect his legs, which allows for the use of RPOs and designed runs. The Steelers saw some success implementing this with Fields. 

New head coach Mike McCarthy is known for developing quarterbacks and could have been a huge help in expanding on Willis' intangibles. The Steelers apparently didn't even consider him, which could turn out to be a huge issue if he ends up playing really well in Miami. 

Steelers Could Hand The Keys To Their Young QB If Rodgers Retires

The Steelers still have a young quarterback in their 2025 sixth-round pick, Will Howard. Though he hasn't played a true NFL snap yet, he has the frame and big game experience at Ohio State to be an intriguing developmental piece. 

Howard could be yet another option for the Steelers if they want to go in the direction of playing a young quarterback. However, this might not come to fruition if Rooney's comments about wanting to be the most competitive they can be come true. 

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