The 2026 NFL draft is officially just days away, and we will soon find out what the Pittsburgh Steelers have planned as they host this year's festivities. Will they pull the trigger on a new weapon for whoever will be playing quarterback? A new offensive lineman to help protect that QB? Or, could it be their first real swing at finding a new young passer since whiffing on Kenny Pickett in 2022?
If you heard what owner Art Rooney II had to say Friday, then you already know option 3 is unlikely to happen.
Rooney spoke with WTAE's Andrew Stockey about the possibility of drafting a QB with the No. 21 pick, and he made it clear that he doesn't see that happening.
"I think I can tell you one thing, it's probably not going to be a quarterback," Rooney told Stockey. "But beyond that it's wide open. Of course, it depends on what happens in front of us. But, you know, I think it'll be exciting to build."
Art Rooney II seems confident that a new first-round QB isn't in the Pittsburgh Steelers plans this year
For quite some time, Alabama QB Ty Simpson was a popular pick at 21 for the Steelers in mock drafts. That has cooled off in recent weeks, and Rooney's comments suggest that analysts were right to move off that idea and back to receiver or offensive line at that pick.
Fans shouldn't be surprised that QB won't be addressed early. Outside of presumptive top overall pick Fernando Mendoza out of Indiana, every other prospect in this class has major concerns in one area or another. Simpson and LSU's Garrett Nussmeier are both size outliers with injury concerns, and Penn State's Drew Allar never put it all together.
If the Steelers are going to add a QB, it likely won't be until late on Day 2 or Day 3. They should have their pick of multiple talented, but flawed, projects for head coach Mike McCarthy to work with. North Dakota State's Cole Payton and Arkansas's Taylen Green are the most notable names, with unreal traits but limited polish as dropback passers.
Could Rooney be putting up somewhat of a smokescreen? Maybe, but I don't think that's ever been his style. So if you are a fan who was worried about Pittsburgh reaching on a QB in the first round, I think you can breathe a sigh of relief.
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