The Pittsburgh Steelers have been searching for their next franchise quarterback pretty much since Ben Roethlisberger rode off into the retirement sunset following the 2021 season. It hasn't gone well.
The Steelers have trotted out Justin Fields, Kenny Pickett, Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Mitchell Trubisky, and Russell Wilson to quarterback their offense since Big Ben retired, and it's all led to essentially the same thing - Some success during the regular season but zero playoff wins.
Fans hope that eventually the team can find a better option at the most important position in the sport. That better option could be available to them in 2027, as Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are far apart on terms for a new contract. Mayfield signed with the Bucs in 2023 and is entering the final year of his contract after playing well for them thus far.
Josh Crysler of The Pewter Plank recently discussed three teams that could pry Mayfield away from the Buccaneers and included the Steelers on the list. He mentioned that with Rodgers entering his final season, Pittsburgh will once again be on the lookout for a quarterback. Mayfield could make sense as a successor to Aaron Rodgers over Will Howard or Drew Allar.
"If the Steelers view themselves as a win-now team next offseason, they may opt to pursue a proven veteran rather than rolling the dice on an unproven commodity in either Howard or Allar.
Mayfield has experience playing in the AFC North, and could be an intriguing option for a potentially quarterback-needy Steelers team."
Baker Mayfield could be a potential Pittsburgh Steelers QB option in 2027
This is all assuming, of course, that the Buccaneers don't agree to terms on a new deal with Mayfield, and there's still plenty of time for the two sides to get something worked out. Mayfield was a bit of a surprise signing for Tampa back in 2023, but he's played well since becoming a Buccaneer, and that earned him a three-year deal in the 2024 offseason. He's got one year left on it and, if a new deal isn't agreed upon, free agency is the next step.
The Steelers could make a lot of sense for Mayfield if he does end up hitting the free agent market. As Crysler noted, Mayfield spent the first four years of his career in the AFC North as a member of the Cleveland Browns, who drafted him first overall in 2018. He has experience playing against the Bengals and Ravens and would probably love getting two cracks at his former team each year.
Mayfield famously was the first overall pick by the Browns in 2018 and, despite giving Cleveland its first reliable quarterback in decades, was eventually traded to Carolina in 2022. The Browns decided that a problematic Deshaun Watson would be better for them than Mayfield and shipped their former number one draft pick off to Charlotte.
Things didn't work out for Mayfield as a Panther either, and he ended the 2022 season with the Rams. He then linked up with the Buccaneers in 2023 and, well, the rest is history. He's proven that he can be a dang good quarterback, and having an offensive-minded coach like Mike McCarthy as his head coach could do wonders for the guy.
Steelers fans probably would rather the team just draft and develop someone at quarterback, but it's hard to deny that Mayfield would be a good option if he were to be available. We'll have to see how it all plays out, but until a deal is agreed upon, Baker Mayfield should be on the table for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
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