With all of the buzz around new head coach Mike McCarthy, Pittsburgh Steelers fans haven't had much time to focus on the 2026 Senior Bowl week. The most important step next is for McCarthy to fill out his coaching staff and find a collection of leaders who will help this team take the next step.
But as McCarthy and the front office compile a list of coaching candidates to fill out the staff, Senior Bowl weigh-ins quietly slipped through the cracks.
And there's one once-prominant quarterback prospect who may already be off the Steelers' board.
Garrett Nussmeier is the most notable QB at the Senior Bowl this year. Early in the season, Nussmeier was thought of as a potential high first-round pick. This was following a breakout campaign in 2024. But after a disappointing redshirt senior season in 2025, Nussmeier plummeted on draft boards.
The LSU product could still be a Day 2 pick when it's all said and done. However, after Senior Bowl weigh-ins, the Steelers may have enough reason to remove him from their draft board entirely.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could remove LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier from their draft board after Senior Bowl weigh-ins
We could tell by watching Nussmeier as LSU's starting quarterback over the past two seasons that he wasn't very big. Listed at 6'2'' in college, we assumed his official measurements would come in smaller... and they have.
At the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl weigh-ins in Mobile, Alabama, Nussmeir measured in at just 6'1'' and 202 pounds. Among all quarterbacks who have participated at the NFL Combine since 1999, Nussmeier's height ranks in the 14th percentile, and his weight is good for just the 4th percentile, per Mockdraftable's database.
While there are examples of small quarterbacks in the NFL succeeding despite their size deficiencies (Russell Wilson, Drew Brees, Brock Purdy, etc.) these are typically few and far between.
Throughout his career, McCarthy hasn't had huge quarterbacks leading his offense, but players like Aaron Rodgers and Dak Prescott hit thresholds that Nussmeier doesn't come close to reaching. Both Rodgers and Prescott—the two quarterbacks McCarthy mainly worked with throughout his career as a head coach—were at least 6'2'' and 223 pounds entering the NFL.
Garrett Nussmeier already had an uphill battle to be an NFL starter because of his down season in 2025, but he didn't do himself any favors with his disappointing Senior Bowl weigh-in. Now he could be off the Pittsburgh Steelers' 2026 NFL Draft board entirely.