The Pittsburgh Steelers need to find a franchise quarterback in the worst way possible. Sadly, it doesn't appear there will be a suitable candidate in the 2026 NFL Draft. Indiana's Fernando Mendoza—a national champion QB and Heisman Trophy winner—is the prize jewel, but he's expected to go to the Las Vegas Raiders with the top pick.
Outside of Mendoza, it's slim pickings at the QB position. Highly-touted prospects like Dante Moore and LaNorris Sellers went back to school for another season, while Alabama's Ty Simpson plummeted down to earth in the second half of the 2025 season.
But despite the lack of quarterback talent in the class, that might not stop new head coach Mike McCarthy and the front office from taking their swing at QB.
One quarterback prospect, in particular, has sneaky ties to McCarthy: LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier's father, Doug, worked directly under McCarthy for three seasons in Dallas from 2020 to 2022. Nussmeier, who was previously on staff as a tight ends coach, was promoted to quarterbacks coach.
There's a personal connection as well.
Because of his father's previous role on Dallas' coaching staff, Garrett spent time around the facility and had direct interactions with McCarthy. The Steelers' head coach has known Nussmeier since his early days at LSU, which gives him a great sense of the quarterback prospect's character and coachability.
The Pittsburgh Steelers shouldn't go out of their way to pursue QB Garrett Nussmeier in the NFL Draft
While the connection is there between McCarthy and Nussmeier, the range of draft analyst evaluations on Nussmeier hardly makes this a match made in heaven.
Nussmeier entered the 2025 season as a potential first-round pick. But since then, his stock has taken a massive hit. The senior quarterback at LSU this past season experienced a massive dip in production while dealing with a nagging torso injury. Nussmeier threw for just 1,927 yards and 12 touchdowns in nine games as a result.
Then there are the unspectacular traits. In addition to have below-avearge arm talent, Nussmeier possesses concerning size measurables. At the 2025 Panini Senior Bowl, Nussmeier measured in at 6'1'' on the dot and just 202 pounds with concerning 8 3/4'' hands.
Thankfully, Nussmeier doesn't appear to be on anyone's first-round radar at this point. However, that doesn't mean that the Steelers won't have interest in taking him somewhere in the draft.
While Pittsburgh may have quietly crossed Nussmeier off its draft board behind closed doors because of the concerning lack of measurables and traits, McCarthy could still use his pull within the organization to go to bat for Nussmeier on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
What McCarthy values most in a quarterback is timing and accuracy—a QB who can deliver the ball on time and have the accuracy to fit the ball into tight windows, often over the middle of the field. This is something we've seen Nussmeier do in college.
Garrett Nussmeier is a polarizing prospect because of his underwhelming traits and up-and-down career at LSU. However, his family connection to head coach Mike McCarthy makes him a prospect we can't ignore for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 2026 NFL Draft.