The Pittsburgh Steelers decided to sign quarterback Aaron Rodgers for one season. After the 2025 NFL season, Rodgers will be retiring from the NFL.
The backup quarterback for the Steelers in 2025 will be Mason Rudolph. In reality, Pittsburgh does not currently have a long-term replacement on the roster unless quarterback Will Howard impresses. With that being said, they will most likely draft a quarterback in the first-round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The Steelers will be hosting the 2026 NFL Draft as well.
Pro Football Network Has the Pittsburgh Steelers Trading Up In Latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft To Find Aaron Rodgers Replacement
Profootballnetwork.com writer Mark Stolte created a three-round 2026 NFL Mock Draft. Originally, he has the Steelers in his latest mock drafting 10th overall, but he has Pittsburgh trading up from the 10th selecting to the seventh selection with the Indianapolis Colts to find a long-term replacement after Rodgers retires.
In the process, Pittsburgh would also have to give up a 2027 first-round selection to Indianapolis in the process. With this pick, the fifth quarterback would be already coming off the board and the Steelers would select Garrett Nussmeier from the LSU Tigers here. Stolte said about Pittsburgh’s potential Rodgers replacement,
“As much as you hate to see it, the Pittsburgh Steelers selecting 10th overall means the Aaron Rodgers experiment failed and despite the “all chips in” approach, Mike Tomlin likely doesn’t survive the apocalypse that comes in 2026.
With that being said, the Steelers have no future at quarterback and are still competent at the majority of positions meaning they need one quickly.
Insert Garrett Nussmeier and maybe the Steelers have a fighting chance. Nussmeier’s best skills are accuracy and pocket management. His 9.8% pressure to sack ratio ranked 12th among FBS quarterbacks last season and his adjusted completion percentage was top-half.
While his decision-making puts him as my fifth best quarterback in 2025, I still think there is some upside with this pick and the Steelers are honestly left with no choice.”
If the Steelers were to have an under .500 record under Tomlin in 2025, there are some fans who would want to see a new head coach for Pittsburgh. They feel like it is long overdue for a new head coach in Pittsburgh, but they just extended general manager Omar Khan.
Well, if Pittsburgh were to take Nussmeier in the 2025 NFL Draft, it would be a good selection for them. During the 2024 season with LSU, he completed 64.2% of his passes for 4,052 yards, 29 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Nussmeier if drafted by Pittsburgh would be in line to be the Week 1 starter for them in 2026, but a lot of things could change between now and the 2026 NFL Draft. What is not a secret is that the Steelers and many other teams will need to draft quarterbacks in the 2026 NFL Draft and many could be gone early.
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