It’s no secret that the Pittsburgh Steelers will likely need a new starting quarterback in 2026. Aaron Rodgers, 41, has hinted at the slim possibility he could return for a second year, but the overwhelming belief, and his initial declaration, indicate he’ll be one and done with the Steelers.
With the 2026 NFL Draft held in Pittsburgh, it seems almost too obvious that the franchise will try to find its next star quarterback of the future then. But, just as the franchise did with Kenny Pickett, odds are the team will want a veteran who can play in front of that rookie for a time.
Mason Rudolph may get that shot, but few outside of the organization are going to quickly acknowledge that, though it certainly isn’t a guarantee. That opens the door for a new face, and former Steelers head coach Bill Cowher had a witty idea to complete the Pittsburgh quarterback room in 2026.
Bill Cowher advises Pittsburgh Steelers, Mike Tomlin to sign their biggest rival quarterback for 2026
On Sunday, Cowher said during CBS’s The NFL Today pregame show that Pittsburgh should sign longtime rival quarterback Joe Flacco in the offseason.
"The only quarterbacks who have played Mike Tomlin 10x or more who have winning records are Tom Brady and Joe Flacco,” Cowher said. “So my advice to Mike… Just sign him [Flacco] in the offseason.”
"The only Quarterbacks who have played Mike Tomlin 10x or more who have winning records are Tom Brady and Joe Flacco."@CowherCBS's advice to Mike Tomlin? Sign Flacco 👀 pic.twitter.com/8N8cEJIm9c
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) October 19, 2025
On the surface, it sounds like an unsavory idea. Flacco was the quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens for 11 years, and has since played 11 games for the Steelers other rival franchises, beating Pittsburgh with the Cincinnati Bengals in a career performance last Thursday, no less.
But setting the rivalry aside, Tomlin has expressed immense respect for Flacco over the years, even after he departed from Baltimore and his time as a full-time starter came to an end.
READ MORE: Mike Tomlin’s viral Joe Flacco rant doesn’t age well after Steelers defeat
No doubt, a significant portion of Steelers Nation wouldn’t be in favor of this move. Flacco would be a solid bridge option overall, of course, but Pittsburgh isn’t winning a Super Bowl or competing to play in one with him either. Flacco would simply give Pittsburgh more of the same, though potentially at a higher level than everyone who went under center between Ben Roethlisberger and Rodgers.
Still, there’s value in sitting a rookie quarterback if he isn’t ready to start - which is a much more common reality than most teams in the NFL are willing to admit. If Pittsburgh takes that route, as fans should probably expect them to, is Flacco a better option than Rudolph as the bridge starter? Flacco has played a lot more football than Rudolph, even in recent years, while both have primarily served as backups, so conventional wisdom would lean towards Flacco being the better option.
Flacco and Tomlin would make for strange bedfellows, yes, but it’s hard to deny that they wouldn’t be successful to a point as a tandem. It’s certainly an idea for Steelers fans to keep in the back of their mind as the rest of the 2025 season unfolds.