Steelers' QB Prospect Has Terrible Trait Brought To Light: "Something Bad Was Happening"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are expected to use a mid-round pick on a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Of course, he would most likely not see the field at all in his rookie season, but the team desperately needs to load up on passer prospects just in case the 2027 class is also much weaker than expected. General Manager Omar Khan and his staff have a lot to sort through to figure out which of these underwhelming options has the highest upside and could fit well in the current system. 

Every quarterback option available to Pittsburgh seems to be a rough one. They have shown interest in a couple options like Carson Beck and Taylen Green, who are two completely different types of passers. One is an experienced national champion with a high floor and a low ceiling, while the other is a raw talent with a sky-high upside and a bottomless pit for a floor. 

ESPN's Bill Connolly gave a detailed analysis on some of the issues with all these quarterbacks. With Beck, his concerns point directly to being a short-term option and a guy that could be out of football quickly.

"[Carson] Beck was a quick pitch-and-catch guy in all ways good and bad, and if the read wasn't there, something bad was happening," Connolly said. "He never extended plays -- only 7.1% of his passes were outside the pocket (second lowest in the sample), and though he rarely was pressured, those pressures frequently turned into sacks (21.7%, 64th). Plus, despite rarely going deep, he still ranked 54th in interception rate (2.6%). Give Beck a nice tight end and some quick options, and he'll use them. But when opponents adjust to that (and they always do), it's not clear he'll be able to develop further."

The Steelers have dealt with low-ceiling checkdown magnets for years now. There is no need for them to use a draft pick on another one of those. They are trying to become more dynamic and stronger for the long-term future, as opposed to going with the same exact frustrating gameplan that has been used since 2019. That's the last thing that Pittsburgh wants in a potential developmental piece. 

If that analysis of Beck turns out to be right, his ceiling will be a quality backup option. With the fact that he is projected to be selected on Day 2 of the draft, the Steelers would be better off passing on him and going for a riskier option. An endless number of checkdowns is not how you win a Super Bowl in this day and age. Pittsburgh hasn't even been able to win a playoff game with super-safe play from the man under center. 

Beck's passing chart tells a similar story, which was also posted in Connolly's analysis of him. He did not complete a single pass beyond 17 yards on the left side or beyond 27 yards on the right side. That is incredibly easy for NFL-caliber defenses to dissect and attack on. A handful of deep balls down the middle won't get the job done. If he can't learn to hit those spots, he will never be seen as a starter in the league.

Steelers Have Much Better Options With Higher Ceilings Available

Why would the Steelers go after a guy like Beck when they could likely select Garrett Nussmeier around that same time? He has his issues as well, but reports say an injury held him back in 2025. Either way, he can likely be an NFL backup too, but he also has the upside to be a quality starter at the NFL level. There are other passers that could fit this description, so going for Beck might not be a great choice. 

What do you think about Beck's issues with stretching the field? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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