Steelers Predicted To Acquire 2 Savvy Veteran Quarterbacks For 2026 Season: "Most Predictable Thing Possible"

Pittsburgh Steelers fans once again find themselves wondering who will be the team's starting quarterback for the upcoming season. Even though there are still a few weeks left in the 2025 NFL regular season, it’s already becoming one of those conversations fans start having early because the situation already feels a bit chaotic. It’s never too early to picture what the Steelers might look like in 2026, especially considering how unpredictable their quarterback room has been for the last few years. Right now, everything basically hinges on whether 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers decides he has another season left.

It is still unclear if Rodgers will return to Pittsburgh for what would be his 22nd NFL season, and people around the league seem split on whether he’s truly leaning one way or the other. If he chooses to call it a career, Pittsburgh will suddenly be left with a very limited set of options, maybe even more limited than they bargained for when they first brought him in.

Rodgers is the sixth different quarterback to start a regular season game for the Steelers since Ben Roethlisberger retired at the end of the 2021 season. Pittsburgh has tried multiple different arms via free agency, trades, and the draft, but nothing has seemed to stick. From far away, it feels like Pittsburgh keeps spinning the same wheel every offseason, hoping it finally lands on the right name. However, once again, it doesn’t look like the Steelers will have an outstanding selection of quarterbacks to choose from in the 2026 offseason.

Diante Lee from The Ringer recently gave his prediction on who will be the Steelers' quarterback in 2026, and Steeler Nation might not be too thrilled about the scenario he laid out. 

"If I had to guess, I’d imagine that Pittsburgh will do the most predictable thing possible," Lee wrote. "That means signing a guy like Tyrod Taylor to be the starter, then trading for a quarterback like Anthony Richardson as a half-hearted attempt to bring in a player with a high ceiling. Those two would trade off weeks of being mediocre, and the Steelers' defense would force an ungodly number of turnovers and drag this team to 7-10, while fans in Acrisure Stadium wave their towels in disgust."

One may not be able to help but laugh at Lee's prediction, but there is a method behind his madness. When you look at how the Steelers have handled the most important position on the field the last few years, the pattern he described isn’t completely unrealistic. Everyone knows that the Steelers have never had a losing season under Head Coach Mike Tomlin, and that has heavily prevented them from having the ability to draft a top quarterback prospect.

The only time that the Steelers have used a first round pick on a quarterback in the Tomlin era was in 2022 when they selected Kenny Pickett 20th overall, and we all know how that panned out. 

Consistently being unable to pick inside the top 10 or even top 15 has left Pittsburgh no choice but to rely on free agency or a trade to get a quarterback, and it appears that will once again be the case in 2026.

Steelers' Final Five Games Will Have An Impact On 2026 Quarterback Decision

For now, it looks like Rodgers will guide the Steelers through the final five games, and the team seems committed to letting him finish out the year as long as he’s healthy. Even with all the talk about what comes next, his experience keeps him in control of the job. However, if the Steelers fall out of the playoff chase or if Rodgers deals with another setback, the situation could shift in a hurry.

In that case, Will Howard might finally get a crack at real playing time. Pittsburgh has been curious about his potential, and giving him a couple of starts at the end of the season could offer some clarity about his future. If Howard steps in and looks comfortable, even in a small sample, it could possibly lead to the team giving him the chance to be the starter in 2026.

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