After another somewhat successful but ultimately disappointing season, the Pittsburgh Steelers made a concerted effort to right the ship. Bringing in quarterback Aaron Rodgers was just one of a slew of moves to make a deep playoff push next January.
If the year ends in letdown fashion once again, though, change should be on the horizon. The futures of head coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Omar Khan are quite secure. With that said, the most important on-field position figures to see a shakeup either way.
Assuming Rodgers retires as expected, Pittsburgh will need a new quarterback. That’s exactly what they land in Bleacher Report’s latest 2026 NFL mock draft.
Steelers Commit to Future, Select QB Drew Allar in 2026 Mock Draft
The Black and Gold send a major statement to the NFL in this simulation. Scout Dame Parson believes Penn State signal-caller Drew Allar is the answer with the Steelers projected to pick 19th overall in April.
“There are three things we can count on: Death, taxes and Mike Tomlin leading his team to winning football games,” Parson said. “The Steelers bypassed a quarterback during the early portions of 2025 NFL draft. Rest assured, they’re expected to be involved with this incoming quarterback class.
“Allar is a physically gifted thrower with functional mobility. He is a big-framed and big-armed quarterback, who resembles a former long-term starter in Pittsburgh. He is heading into a pivotal senior season to complete his development. He can fit well with the other young pieces the Steelers have acquired.”
Allar is entering year four with the Nittany Lions after consecutive productive campaigns. A year ago, he completed 66.5% of his pass and threw for 3,327 yards and 24 touchdowns while tossing just 8 interceptions. The former five-star prospect also saw jumps in yards per attempt (6.8 to 8.4) and rating (136.9 to 153.5) year-over-year. Listed at 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, the comparison Parson made is to Super Bowl-winning Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
The impact goes beyond the box score for Allar, too. Per Pro Football Focus, he ranked fourth among 21 Big Ten quarterbacks (with 100-plus dropbacks) in offense grade last regular season at 86.2. In the same group, he was sixth in big-time throw rate (4.1%). He also posted the lowest turnover-worthy throw clip (1.1%) in the crop.
This isn’t the first time someone has posed the question of whether the Steelers should consider Allar. It almost certainly won’t be the last.
Weighing Other Potential Options for Pittsburgh Next Offseason
Simply put, the 2026 NFL Draft is the most straightforward way for the Steelers to move into the future. Aside from Allar, there’s a multitude of options to choose from. Players like Cade Klubnik (Clemson) and Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) headline the list, assuming Texas’ Arch Manning indeed waits until 2027.
Elsewhere, South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers and Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza are high-profile potential picks. Arizona State’s Sam Leavitt and Oklahoma’s John Mateer also offer some intrigue.
Secondly, free agency is always a path. A reunion with Russell Wilson or convincing Rodgers to return for another year both seem unlikely. The problem is there simply aren’t many good field generals hitting the market. Daniel Jones, Marcus Mariota, Zach Wilson, Joe Flacco, Jimmy Garoppolo and Mitchell Trubsiky are all journeymen, obvious backups or old.
Entertaining a trade is even less predictable. Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins is the low-hanging fruit and fits the timeline of the roster and the theme of the organization. With that said, he may be released at some point.
There’s no clear-cut or foolproof way to handle quarterback in 2026. The Steelers know that. Their best chance to move forward with youth and upside, however, is selecting someone like Allar. Those rumblings will only grow louder over the next several months.
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