If you’re looking for excitement, the 2026 Steelers quarterback options is not the place to look. The NFL Draft is exactly one deep in quarterbacks this year. The free agent class isn’t much better with Daniel Jones being the top candidate despite coming off a major injury, and a very unremarkable season. With all that said, let’s trudge through the list of possible candidates to be the Steelers quarterback in 2026:
Free Agents:
Malik Willis is the hot name in this group. He is riding the six quarters of decent football into what looks to be a monster contract in free agency. Willis is the ultimate buyer beware candidate. Daniel Jones is an intriguing name. He could follow a similar path to Sam Darnold. Drafted by a dysfunctional franchise, straightened out by good coaching. The problem with Daniel Jones is two fold. One, he’s coming off a major Achilles injury. Two being the Colts are not likely to let him out of Indianapolis.
The rest of the free agent crop is less than exciting to say the least. Kirk Cousins and Kyler Murray are rumored to be cut in the near future. Neither one is more than a one year band aid without much in the way of upside. The rest of the class can barely be classified as decent backups. Marcus Mariota, Jimmy Garoppolo, Gardner Minshew, Joe Flacco, and Tyrod Taylor are all retreads with no real upside as a starter whatsoever.
Trade Candidates:
Tanner McKee has become the latest hot quarterback trade topic. This is a guy with less than 200 snaps total in the NFL in his two years in the league. McKee is a former 6th round pick who would be the ultimate dart throw. Tyson Bagent is an interesting name who’s come up recently. The cost to pry him away from Chicago is the issue. He’s proven to be a solid backup, and at only five million dollars the Bears will be reluctant to move on from that. Teams will have to wow Chicago with an offer, which probably takes Bagent off the table.
God help us, but Derrick Carr has thrown his name back into the ring in the last week. He says he’s be willing to make a comeback for a contender. This should be a hard no for the Steelers. Mac Jones could be had for the right price. This is a similar situation to Bagent however. The 49ers aren’t likely to part ways with a quality backup unless they are blown away. Mac Jones is not the kind of quarterback you offer significant assets for. Anthony Richardson is reportedly available. The athleticism is intriguing, but all the baggage that comes with it is probably not with it.
There has been whispers that CJ Stoud could possibly be moved this offseason. It’s highly unlikely given how close the Texans are to making a Super Bowl run. If he is available the Steelers would have to at least consider it. His performance in the post season has everyone concerned. Stroud was atrocious in the 2025 playoffs. He’s only 24 years old, and is extremely talented however. This is one to keep an eye on if it ever becomes a legitimate option.
The Draft:
This draft is only slightly better than the 2022 version in terms of quarterbacks. The only thing saving this class is Fernando Mendoza, and he is going number one overall. The best of the rest consists of one name, Ty Simpson. Simpson has a total 15 career starts in college, and not all of those were good. Drafting this player in the first round would be like taking Kenny Pickett all over again. Simply put, there is no starter capable player in this draft past the number one overall pick. The Steelers could take some dart throws later in the draft on players like Drew Allar, or Taylen Green. Those are long term projects, not starter ready players for 2026. The next long term quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers is not coming out of this draft….period.
Status Quo:
Technically Aaron Rodgers is a free agent. For this exercise we will lump him in with Mason Rudolph and Will Howard as the incumbents. The quarterback room being exactly the same as it was in 2025 is a reality we all must wrap our heads around. You can make a good argument it is the main reason Mike McCarthy was hired to be this team’s head coach. Art Rooney does not like change. He likes things just the way they are. No big swings, just safe moves that keep the team relevant enough to see season tickets. A Mike McCarthy/Arron Rodgers combination with some minor roster additions fits that bill perfectly. For all the effort we will all be making trying to unearth a new Steelers quarterback, it will be for nothing as Aaron Rodgers is almost certain to be back.
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