It seemed like the Pittsburgh Steelers had finally figured out their quarterback situation, at least for the 2025 season. All signs pointed to the team wanting Justin Fields with a backup plan of Sam Darnold. Most fans, myself included, figured that Pittsburgh would have their guy early in free agency.
That mindset feels like it died ages ago.
Shortly after free agency started, both Fields and Darnold quickly signed elsewhere. Fields joined up with the Jets while Darnold headed to the Seahawks.
While the Pittsburgh Steelers will boast that they have confidence in the quarterback room, they shouldn’t. Even if you somehow got a decent season out of the room, the long-term outlook of the squad is a mess.
However, could the Steelers actually be playing chess while the rest of the league is playing checkers? If recent draft trends are to be followed, it looks like the team could be playing this situation perfectly.
The Pittsburgh Steelers could pounce on Shedeur Sanders if he falls in the 2025 NFL Draft
While at one point viewed as the top overall draft pick, Colorado Buffaloes product Shedeur Sanders has seen his draft stock plummet in recent weeks. Cam Ward quickly jumped him as the top quarterback in this class (and for good reason), but Sanders doesn’t seem like a popular player despite a weak quarterback class.
Heck, Ward isn’t even a lock to go first overall. The Titans have other needs and could look elsewhere to add a superior prospect. Likewise, they could also trade away the top pick and focus on quarterback in 2026.
If Ward doesn’t go first overall, or a more needy quarterback team moves up and lands him, Sanders could see himself slide. If he falls out of the top ten, he could see his stock free fall.
This wouldn’t be shocking either. The Steelers saw Kenny Pickett fall in a similarly weak quarterback class despite other teams having needs there. It happens, and teams seem willing to wait for the right guy as opposed to forcing their own hands.
Given just how much of a disaster the quarterback room has been in free agency, the team could end up landing the second-best quarterback in this draft class. Given how weak the room is, the team has to pounce if they have the opportunity to land Sanders if he falls.