Steelers Fans Get Clarity On A Failed Pre-Draft Visit With A Quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers and the other 31 organizations across the NFL have spent the last few months getting familiar with all of the prospects entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Franchises have wrapped up their pre-draft visits, and the Steelers brought in a wide variety of players. There were guys that could be selected on Day 1 and guys that could be drafted on Day 3, and the team seemed to favor some positions but there was a wide variety in that regard as well. Wide receivers, cornerbacks, and linebackers led the way when it came to pre-draft visits, while four quarterbacks were also brought into the facility.

Pittsburgh has brought in four quarterbacks, and those players are Carson Beck, Cole Payton, Drew Allar, and Taylen Green. Somewhat of a surprise omission from this list is former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier has some ties to Head Coach Mike McCarthy as Nussmeier's dad was on McCarthy's coaching staff with the Dallas Cowboys. Nussmeier is seen as one of the top mid-round quarterback prospects, so it would have made sense for the organization to bring him in for a visit. Beat writer Mark Kaboly spoke about how the organization tried to get Nussmeier in the building during Thursday's episode of Kaboly + Mack.

"They wanted to bring Nussmeier in, but I don't think the schedule lined up where he was able to make it here," Kaboly said. "I think they tried a couple of times, but just didn't happen. So, you have to throw him on the list of potentials, too, in that list. Because if everything would have lined up, he would have shown up, I think."

Something happened with the scheduling for Nussmeier where he could not make a trip to Pittsburgh, which is somewhat common for the more popular prospects that teams may want to get to know a little bit more. He had a down year in 2025 where he suffered multiple injuries, so there are certainly red flags that franchises want to check out. This makes it hard for the young quarterback to squeeze every visit in that is requested.

Even though the two sides could not find a time to visit with one another, Kaboly believes there is still a chance that Nussmeier could be the quarterback that the Steelers end up picking. This would probably be with one of the three third-round selections that the team has. This pick shouldn't be considered necessary as it seems somewhat likely that Aaron Rodgers will be returning to the franchise in 2026. With Will Howard already on the roster as a developmental quarterback, drafting a player like Nussmeier doesn't make much sense.

Nussmeier showed that he could be a good quarterback at times during his career in college, but the young quarterback took a major step back in 2025. Some believe that was due to the fact that he was attempting to play through injury, but either way, it was concerning. He was seen as a potential first-round pick prior to the 2025 season, and now his ceiling seems to be the third round of the event.

Steelers Need To Focus Their Top Selections Elsewhere

Pittsburgh has obviously been doing its homework on the mid-round quarterbacks in this year's draft class, but the Steelers should stay away from quarterbacks like Nussmeier, Beck, and Allar. Those three guys have been mocked to go on Day 2 of the event, but the Steelers should use their four selections that day to round out the roster elsewhere. The first-round pick should be used on either a wide receiver, offensive linemen, or a safety, and then on Day 2, the franchise needs to address other weaknesses. This includes inside linebacker, maybe a double dip at wide receiver, and a team can never have too many linemen.

What do you think about the Steelers failed pre-draft visit with Nussmeier? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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