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Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow (9) looks for hands to shake after the fourth quarter of the NFL Week 18 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Cleveland Browns at Paycor Stadium in Downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Jan. 4, 2026. The Browns kicked a last second field goal to win 20-18. Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Super Bowl Champion Starts Recruiting Joe Burrow to Steelers

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Jan 6, 2026 11:05 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't know who their quarterback is going to be in 2026. They'd like it to be Aaron Rodgers, but are waiting on Rodgers to decide on his future - which leaves them looking for alternative options.

One of those options likely isn't Joe Burrow, but everyone is hopeful that the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback is ready to get out of one AFC North team, maybe join another.

Speaking about the team's situation on the latest episode of his podcast, Deebo and Joe Podcast, former Super Bowl Champion James Harrison made his pitch to Burrow to join the Steelers.

"Joe. Burrow. Look, Joe. We’re missing the piece, Joe. I’m talking to you,” Harrison said, showing his Super Bowl rings to the camera. “Burrow, look here. We’re missing a piece. You could be that piece. Joe, listen, you gotta look out for yourself. You gotta take care of yourself.

“I care about you, Joe. Because I did do a year in Cincinnati, and I know what you’re doing over there. What you’re facing over there. I know what you’re going through, I heard it in your voice. I feel your pain when I hear you talk, Joe. Burrow, Burrow, listen to me."

Should Steelers Make an Offer?

Should the Steelers make an offer for Burrow? Of course. Any team looking for a quarterback should call the Bengals and see where they stand with Burrow and a potential trade.

Chances are, any of those teams will be turned away without a splashy offer, and truthfully, the Steelers would be turned away no matter what.

One Bengals source made sure to stress that to Steelers On SI.

"We have no intention of trading joe burrow whatsoever," they said. "But if that day ever came, he would not be a Pittsburgh Steeler."

Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

So, Where Else Can They Look?

The Steelers will likely look at the NFL Draft for a possible quarterback, and will definitely try to convince Rodgers to return, especially if their playoff run turns into a successful one.

Rodgers didn't shut down the idea of returning, and actually hinted that a second year in Pittsburgh could be more successful than the first.

You know, anytime you're in a first-year offense, there's always some growing pains within the offense," Rodgers told local media when asked about his play this season. "It's always you feel like if you had another year, you know what you could do. I look at the way I played in 2019 and then kind of the adjustments we made in the offseason, and then the way I played in 2020, which was just in a whole kind of different level. I felt like, and I used to tease [Matt] LaFleur about this all the time, I was a game manager in 2019 and a game impactor in 2020 and 2021. I think a lot of that's just familiarity with the offense and with the guys. We've done the best we could with our conversations and our meeting time outside the facility and our meeting time in the facility. But obviously, the more years you get in asystem with the same guys, the more continuity you have, the better you feel like you can play."

Only time will tell how the Steelers quarterback room shapes out next season. Fans are probably hoping Harrison continues to pitch Burrow about the possibility of joining the team.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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