ESPN Insider Sets Steelers Up For Legendary Draft In Pittsburgh: 'Can You Imagine'

The Pittsburgh Steelers have gotten themselves into a significant quarterback dilemma. There is no clear answer for the future at the position and even if Aaron Rodgers does intend to play with the team in 2025, the long-term answer will remain in question. Drafting Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft isn't being looked at as a strategic selection that will affect the franchise for years to come, which is why many fans remain worried. It is almost certain that the organization will end up picking a signal-caller in the first round once the 2026 NFL Draft rolls around.

It seems as if the Steelers have been planning for a little while to make an aggressive move in 2026, although no one knows where the franchise will be in terms of draft positioning. The front office has been very strategic when it comes to next year, as it is possible that General Manager Omar Khan will have up to 12 picks at his disposal.

To tie things all together, the 2026 NFL Draft will take place in the Steel City. This could be setting up one of the more electrifying first-round picks in some time. Recently on The Adam Schefter Podcast, the insider went into detail about how and why the draft in 2026 could potentially be one of the more memorable compared to all others that have occurred. 

"Think about this past year, [the NFL Draft] was in Green Bay," Schefter said." As soon as Mark Murphy said, 'And a position we haven't drafted since 2002,' the fans all knew it was a wide receiver; Matthew Golden was in attendance. It was electric, and that was for a wide receiver in the 20s. Can you imagine what it would be like for a quarterback in the Top 10, Top 5? That would be off the charts to be in Pittsburgh when that quarterback is picked."

The Green Bay Packers made a decision to select wideout Matthew Golden with the 23rd overall pick. The organization hadn't selected the position in the first round in over two decades. The reaction was incredible, but as Schefter noted, it would be an insane scene if the Steelers trade up to get their guy of the future come 2026. It is well within the realm of possibility, too.

Teams in the modern NFL need a permanent quarterback to win games consistently. Pittsburgh has broken that theory a bit in the last couple of seasons, making the postseason two out of the three years since Ben Roethlisberger retired. Overall, though, the organization still hasn't won a playoff game since the 2016 campaign, and fans are eager to have a formidable signal-caller once again.

That long-term answer isn't likely to be known in 2025, unless Howard gets an opportunity and proves he can be the guy moving forward. The most likely scenario is exactly what Schefter said. The Steelers are going to have a plethora of selections in 2026. The team will also hold 2027 draft capital that allows Khan to make, potentially, the most aggressive move in franchise history.

The kicker to the entire hypothetical situation is the draft being held in Pittsburgh. An extremely passionate fan base could have the opportunity of a lifetime to see a future Hall of Famer get drafted in one of the NFL's most historic cities.

Steelers Are Playing The Long Game At Quarterback

Whether Rodgers signs or not remains to be seen, but everyone that follows the franchise knows that there needs to be a future answer when it comes to a signal-caller. The 2026 NFL Draft class is expected to be stout at the position, so it will be fascinating to see which quarterbacks the organization pays close attention to during the pre-draft process. Khan has the capital to make history, so it will be very intriguing to see how everything falls into place.