Steelers Can't Rule Out First-Round Quarterback

You wake up, and it’s the middle of January. The best teams in the NFL are duking it out for the right to hoist the Lombardi Trophy. The rest are beginning an early offseason, preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft and the possibilities that come with it.

The Pittsburgh Steelers won nine games. They still don’t have a franchise quarterback.

It’s not all that hard to imagine. To some, that might feel inevitable. But as the roster is currently constructed, the Steelers seem poised to continue their streak of being passable, but not potent.

Pittsburgh is currently set to start veteran Mason Rudolph, with sixth-round quarterback Will Howard hoping to push him for playing time. It still remains possible, if not likely, that Aaron Rodgers will join them for a farewell campaign. None of those options is likely to lead Pittsburgh’s next Super Bowl contender.

Subsequently, the Steelers are among the realistic landing spots for a 2026 first-round quarterback. They made good on that in USA Today’s recent way-too-early mock draft, taking Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik with the 16th pick.

“We can only hope that Aaron Rodgers makes his decision by this time next year, but Klubnik becomes the Steelers' quarterback of the future,” Nick Brinkerhoff wrote. “He made strides last season at Clemson, something that fans will hope continues this year. The Steelers get a dual-threat signal caller who can potentially add some stability to Pittsburgh's room.”

The 2026 class, if things go well this season, could boast a much stronger crop of quarterbacks than 2025, where Pittsburgh postponed a selection until Day 3.

The Steelers, without a franchise quarterback, are obvious candidates to be in the running for a passer. None of their 2025 investments would stop them from taking a passer, either. Howard would have to look like a star to even consider taking a Round 1 passer off the board, and if he does, Pittsburgh’s problem is solved anyway.

Klubnik is an unfinished product, but he has the tools Steelers fans have learned to be jealous of. He can extend plays and work as a standalone rusher; he also has more than enough arm talent to stretch the field consistently. With receivers DK Metcalf and George Pickens (assuming the latter re-signs) in the room, Klubnik would have the resources to succeed and the talent to optimize his supporting cast.

A year out from the festivities, it’s far too early to talk definitively about any prospect. Even so, Klubnik remains a name to watch as Steelers fans monitor yet another quarterback class.