The Pittsburgh Steelers brought back Aaron Rodgers with one goal in mind: to find playoff success this year. Rodgers is entering his age-43 season in his 22nd year in the NFL, and with aging defensive stars, this team wants to capitalize on a rapidly fleeting window.
But the latest quarterback rankings make it feel like the Steelers' 2026 is doomed before it even starts.
FanSided staff writer Christopher Kline recently ranked the quarterback rooms of all 32 teams, considering the strength of their top three quarterbacks, and the Steelers ranked 25th. The combination of Aaron Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, and Will Howard ranked below teams like the Saints and Vikings, while just ahead of teams like the Titans, Panthers, and Falcons.
It's not hard to see why.
The Pittsburgh Steelers' QB situation could be the downfall of their 2026 season
In 2025, Rodgers ranked 37th in throws beyond ten air yards while finishing 23rd in QBR, 23rd in EPA, 35th in success rate, 42nd in average depth of target, and 31st in yards per attempt.
It's possible that Rodgers could take a slight step up in 2026. With Mike McCarthy calling the offense and new receivers Michael Pittman Jr. and Germie Bernard at his disposal, Rodgers' efficiency and production could improve slightly.
However, time is quickly catching up to the aging veteran. Rogers looked timid and afraid to take hits last season. This is likely attributed to his getting the ball out of his fans' hands faster than any other quarterback in the league.
Though the Steelers' QB room looks respectable on paper, and the article from Kline didn't even mention Drew Allar as the team's fourth quarterback, you can only play one QB at a time. Thus, a team's offense is only as good as its starting quarterback allows it to be. Pittsburgh might have a better QB2, QB3, and QB4 than many teams, but maybe only one of these guys will see the field this season.
When you compare the Steelers' positional groups to the positional groups of their opponents across the NFL, it's hard to argue that Pittsburgh has a worse-ranked group than quarterback.
On paper, Pittsburgh improved at running back, wide receiver, offensive line, and secondary. The only group as concerningly poor as the Steelers' quarterback position right now is off-ball linebacker, with Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, and Malik Harrison. However, the quarterback carries significantly more weight in terms of impact on success.
If the Pittsburgh Steelers fall short of playoff success in 2026, it probably won't be because the roster failed the quarterbacks; it'll be because the quarterbacks failed the rest of the roster.
Add us as a preferred source on Google