Steelers Lose Another Top QB Option

The prospect of the Pittsburgh Steelers taking their next franchise quarterback is becoming less and less likely. Heading into this NFL and NCAA season, it was expected to be a huge year for the QB position. Multiple top prospects were just months away from declaring for the 2026 NFL Draft and reaching their biggest dreams.

As the Steelers move ever so slightly closer to the 2026 NFL Draft, the available quarterbacks exiting the college ranks do not provide much optimism. Outside of Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza and University of Oregon star Dante Moore, the position group is filled with huge question marks and wildly varying evaluations.

Players like Ty Simpson out of Alabama, John Mateer out of the University of Oklahoma, Duke QB Darian Mensah and Ole Miss star Trinidad Chambliss are all intriguing names that the team has kept an eye on, but they each fall into that category. Some view Simpson as a can't-miss prospect, while others view him as another Greg McElroy.

And now, the Steelers can cross another player with all the raw skills off their 2026 list. University of Texas starter and member of the royal bloodline, Arch Manning, has decided to return to school for the 2026 season. He is now projected to be a top pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.

Another One Bites the Dust

The past few days and weeks have been filled with hits to the Steelers' draft hopes. Just before Manning decided to return, another standout prospect chose to return to the NCAA for another year.

South Carolina quarterback LaNoriss Sellers was once the projected number one pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. But after a struggling campaign, the redshirt sophomore is returning for his junior year.