Steelers Insider Believes Organization Is Setting Up Move That Mirrors Chiefs' 2017 Blockbuster

The Pittsburgh Steelers have brought in a new coaching regime, and with that comes the perfect opportunity to really hit the reset button on the team. The organization has elected to try to stay competitive rather than taking part in any kind of tank. The front office spent big money in free agency and handed out some hefty extensions, with more expected to be on the way. The roster is in a much better spot than it was in 2025, with a solid offensive nucleus and better talent on defense than in years past. Despite these big moves, the question remains: how high is the team's ceiling? Many believe another 10-7 season is ahead.  

With the decision being made to try and stay competitive, the organization was left with no choice but to re-sign Aaron Rodgers. Rodgers is 42 years old and, in 2025, showed flashes of both greatness and old age. 

He was good against the bad teams, but had just one win against a playoff team. Even with his struggles, he still gives the team the best chance to compete in 2026. Rodgers announced that the upcoming season will be his last, which means the team will need a plan for a signal-caller of the future, and one Steelers insider thinks the decision-makers may already have one. 

Christopher Carter of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently appeared on an episode of his show, The North Shore Drive, where he discussed the Steelers' potential plans at quarterback. Carter believes the team wants to remain competitive so that whoever the next signal-caller is has a solid team around him. He compared it to the Kansas City Chiefs' blockbuster trade in 2017 when they moved up 17 spots to draft Patrick Mahomes 10th overall.  

"That's the thing is, you go far back, but that was the year with the 27th pick they traded up to get Patrick Mahomes at 10th overall. I think that's where the Steelers are looking," Carter stated. "Like, hey, we get that we're not in a tank position where we're going to be in the top five, but we have the confidence that we'll be able to make moves and go up and get the quarterback that we really want, who will be the next Ben Roethlisberger franchise guy that carries you into the future." 

In 2004, Ben Roethlisberger joined an already established team, went 14-0 as a rookie, and even led them to an AFC Championship Game appearance. He would then win a Super Bowl the very next season. The Steelers want to keep their team competitive to hopefully give their QB of the future a situation similar to Roethlisberger's. 

Unfortunately, for the next franchise quarterback, he won't be able to sit behind a Pro-Bowler like Mahomes did. The former Texas Tech Red Raider sat behind Alex Smith in his rookie season, and didn't play until the team's meaningless Week 17 matchup. The next Steelers quarterback likely won't have that luxury, but he will have a benefit that Mahomes still has today.

Steelers Have A Quarterback Guru At The Helm

Mahomes stepped into an already good team and made them great. Perhaps the most underrated part of this situation was the coaching staff he stepped into. He has played for Andy Reid his entire career, a known offensive mastermind who helped unlock Mahomes' best attributes. The Steelers' next quarterback will get to play under Mike McCarthy, who may not be on Reid's level, but is a great coach in his own right. 

McCarthy has an excellent resume at developing quarterbacks, and has even gotten backup quarterbacks paid nice contracts by other teams. He has a great QB school that he puts his guys through, which polishes their footwork and mechanics. The 2027 season will be the start of his next project at quarterback, whether it'd be Drew Allar, Will Howard, or, if Carter is right, a first-round rookie they trade up for. Whoever it is, they will be in good hands to start their career. 

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