The Pittsburgh Steelers managed to turn the offense around just a bit with Aaron Rodgers under center after a very bleak start to the 2025 campaign, but with this season appearing to be his final season in the NFL, Omar Khan may need to turn many stones to find the 2026 starter.
With Pittsburgh winning too many games to pick some of the top prospects in what is regarded as an already below-average quarterback class, it seems unlikely that the Steelers will be able to reboot on the fly. Trading for a veteran might have some appeal, and there is one fringe starter who has impressed this season.
San Francisco 49ers backup quarterback Mac Jones performed admirably after filling in for an injured Brock Purdy this season, as the usual Kyle Shanahan bump has helped the first-round bust put together the finest season of his professional career.
ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano listed the Steelers and Indianapolis Colts as a pair of hypothetical teams that will likely take a look at the 2026 quarterback market and give Jones a shot at being their main man if they can entice San Francisco with a trade.
ESPN links Pittsburgh Steelers to 2026 trade for 49ers QB Mac Jones
In 10 games, eight of which he started, Jones has completed 69% of his passes while throwing 13 touchdowns against just six interceptions. Jones was always an accurate passer, and this system is helping him put together a much better season than he had in his final days with the New England Patriots or his Jacksonville Jaguars sabbatical.
The question Pittsburgh must ask itself, however, is how much of this production increase is due to Jones as a passer and how much is because of Shanahan. Going from Shanahan and Christian McCaffrey to Arthur Smith and one above-average skill position player in DK Metcalf could make for a bit of a system shock.
Jones may still be one of the best options on the market. Unless the Steelers pay big money for a struggling quarterback with a big contract like Kyler Murray or Tua Tagovailoa, Jones is one of the more productive fringe starters. The free agent market is populated by veterans who won't move the needle, and Khan may end up tempted by Jones' stats.