How the Steelers' future quarterback plans could be in jeopardy

Many thought the Pittsburgh Steelers would use a premier pick in the 2025 NFL Draft on a quarterback. Instead, the organization decided to pick Derrick Harmon with the 21st overall selection, then stay put at pick 83 overall to select running back Kaleb Johnson. Pittsburgh didn't go after a quarterback until the sixth round of the event when it picked former Ohio State signal-caller Will Howard. Not much is expected of Howard initially, but if he can turn into something reliable at the position, that would solve a lot of the organization's current issues.

It is more than likely that the Steelers will still be searching for a franchise quarterback going into the 2026 season. The organization should target the draft to find a player like that, but a lot can change over the next year when it comes to how the quarterbacks are viewed in the upcoming class. Carson Beck and Quinn Ewers were considered the top two quarterback prospects going into the 2024 season, and Ewers wound up getting drafted in the seventh round, while Beck transferred to Miami.

The 2026 quarterback draft class should be stronger than what was seen in 2025, and Pittsburgh likely has its eyes set on it as the organization is expected to receive a decent amount of compensatory draft picks that could be used to vault up the draft board. Scouts spoke to The Athletic's Jeff Howe about how next year's class is supposed to be better.

"It certainly seems stronger than this year's class," one scout said. "But it ultimately may depend on who declares for the NFL."

One of the top names in college football is Arch Manning, and he is about to go into his first season as a starting quarterback. He has been tabbed as a shoo-in for the first round; however, it is no guarantee he will declare for the draft in 2026. It should not be assumed that any player who has still has college eligibility will declare, especially with the current state of NIL.

Pittsburgh is not the only team that is going to need a quarterback going into the 2026 NFL Draft either. There are bad teams that will already be at the top of the draft board that will need one, and then there are teams with decent rosters like the Cleveland Browns, who could get in Pittsburgh's way. Another team to look out for is going to be the Los Angeles Rams, as 2025 could be Matthew Stafford's final season in the NFL or his last year with the organization.

The Browns and Rams each made moves to set themselves up for success in 2026 if they do end up hunting for a quarterback. Cleveland completed a blockbuster at the start of the draft by trading the second overall pick to the Jaguars, which gave Jacksonville the opportunity to draft Travis Hunter. In return, Cleveland received Jacksonville's first-round selection in the 2026 NFL Draft. If Cleveland finds itself needing a quarterback going into the 2026 NFL Draft, it now has an additional pick to use on the position. The pick can be used in a package to trade up to the top of the draft or just give the organization an extra slot to make a selection. The same goes for the Rams, who traded out of the first round in 2025 and gave their spot to the Atlanta Falcons. The Rams received a first-round pick in 2026 in the exchange.

The Rams were a couple of plays away from making the NFC Championship Game in 2025, so their original pick in 2026 should be in the back third or so of the draft. However, Atlanta's pick that the Rams now have could be in the top 15 selections. This is a good spot to land a quarterback, or the picks can be packaged together to move into the top six picks or so.

Bad news for Steelers heading into 2026

This is not good for Pittsburgh. If the Steelers have a similar season to the ones they have had in recent years, the organization may miss out on one of the top quarterbacks in 2026. This is something the Steelers can't continue to do if they want to be a true contender in the AFC again.