Steelers Now Connected With Controversial Young Quarterback: "Something To Keep An Eye On"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a great job throughout the 2026 season when it comes to acquiring new talent. The team has addressed many areas of need, including wide receiver, running back, and cornerback. The roster looks good on paper as of right now, aside from the quarterback position. The only two signal-callers under contract for the 2026 season are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. The team is awaiting a decision from Aaron Rodgers about whether or not he wants to continue his playing career. The four-time league MVP is a free agent, but the thought is that he would sign with Pittsburgh again to continue playing.

With the questions the Steelers have at quarterback, drafting a player at the position is always a possibility. Spending a first-round pick on the position in 2026 is probably out of the question due to the talent pool that there is to select from this time around, but drafting a quarterback in later rounds could make sense. Draft analyst Todd McShay was asked about the Steelers' plans for the upcoming NFL Draft on a recent episode of The Todd McShay Show, and whether or not quarterback would be a position to watch. He doesn't think a signal-caller would be the pick in the first round, but he has heard of the Steelers being connected to a mid-round prospect.

"Yeah the question is, who is their quarterback?" McShay asked. "It's not Ty Simpson at 21, I can tell you that for a fact. I have heard them linked with Carson Beck, so that's just something to keep an eye on. I think like Round 3 probably would be the range."

Ty Simpson has been the quarterback most commonly mocked to the Steelers, and he is the only quarterback outside of Fernando Mendoza that is thought to have a chance to go in the first round of the event. McShay does not believe the Steelers have any interest in the Alabama product, but he cannot say the same about Miami quarterback Carson Beck.

Some members of the media have connected some dots between Pittsburgh and Beck before, but this is the first time it has been said with a ton of certainty. Beck is thought to be a mid-round prospect, and McShay believes he could be one of Pittsburgh's third-round selections.

Beck has had an up and down couple of years. He began his college career at Georgia where he was the starter for two seasons. He transferred to Miami for his final season of college football where he led the Hurricanes to the National Championship, and he had a bit of a career resurgence in Miami. He seemed tired of playing football at some points during his career at Georgia, but he found his love for the sport again during the 2025 season.

The prospect was not a fan-favorite by any means throughout his time in college, and he has flown somewhat under the radar throughout the first part of the pre-draft process. He could be an intriguing name to bring into the fold if Rodgers decides to retire, and should be expected to compete with Howard and Rudolph for the starting job in that scenario.

Steelers Will Have Plenty Of Time To Consider Drafting Carson Beck

Some analysts have argued that Beck should be considered the second best quarterback in the 2026 draft class, ahead of Simpson. However, he is still projected to go in the middle rounds of the event. Pittsburgh is loaded with draft capital, and the organization has plenty of spots to consider selecting him. Pittsburgh owns three third-round picks, as well as the 121st overall pick, which falls in the fourth round. If the two sides are connected like McShay said, Beck will probably be considered with most of those selections. However, it will all depend on what Rodgers decides to do.

What do you think about the idea of Beck coming to Pittsburgh? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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