Every Quarterback Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the oldest teams in the NFL, having been established in 1933, just 13 years after the formation of the league. As such, when going through the franchise’s list of all-time quarterbacks drafted, it’s easy to find a bounty.

Pittsburgh’s six Super Bowl wins are the second most in NFL history, and its six championships (the Super Bowl was not introduced until 1967) are tied for the fourth most all time.

Most of those Super Bowl-winning teams were led by excellent quarterback play and, often, excellent homegrown quarterback play.

Let’s take a look at every signal-caller the Steelers have ever selected -- 51 in total dating back to 1941.

MORE: 9 Worst Draft Picks and 10 Best Draft Picks in Steelers History

Four Legendary QBs Were Drafted by the Steelers

• Johnny Unitas, 1955
  One of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game never played for the Steelers. In fact, the team cut him after the draft, and Unitas went to work in construction. The next year, he was invited to try out for the Baltimore Colts and the rest is history.

• Len Dawson, 1957
  Dawson played six NFL seasons before jumping to the AFL with the Kansas City Chiefs in 1963. It was there he established himself after throwing for fewer than 20 yards over his first five NFL seasons. Dawson served as the Chiefs’ No. 1 quarterback from 1963 until 1972, leading the team to the first-ever Super Bowl and then the franchise’s first-ever Super Bowl in SB IV.

• Terry Bradshaw, 1973
  Bradshaw was the No. 1 overall pick in 1970 and quickly helped establish the Steelers as one of the most dominant teams of the decade. The Bradshaw-led Steelers captured four Super Bowls, and the quarterback himself twice won Super Bowl Most Valuable Player honors. He retired after the 1983 season, was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1989 and spent most of the next 30 years to the younger generations as one of the most entertaining studio analysts in the game.

• Ben Roethlisberger, 2004
  The Steelers had varying levels of success in the post-Bradshaw era. Quarterbacks Mark Malone, Neil O’Donnell, and Kordell Stewart provided some of the best homegrown years. But it wasn’t until "Big Ben" arrived in 2004 that Pittsburgh became a powerhouse again. Roethlisberger was the Steelers’ starter in every season of his 18 in the NFL, making six Pro Bowls and winning two Super Bowls before he was finished after the 2021 season.