The Pittsburgh Steelers await Aaron Rodgers' retirement decision this offseason. The expectation has been that the 42-year-old quarterback will walk away, but the Steelers recently hired Mike McCarthy as their new head coach. McCarthy's existing relationship with Rodgers, dating back to their Green Bay Packers Super Bowl-winning days, could tempt the four-time MVP winner to play another season in Pittsburgh.
Regardless of what Rodgers decides, the Steelers need to target a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. Whether they need an immediate starter or a future successor is still to be determined. Either way, McCarthy must start planning for the future.
The Steelers are equipped with five top-100 selections, including a projected comp pick. They must utilize one of those selections on a quarterback. We've identified three quarterback prospects the Steelers should target in each of the first three rounds of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Round 1: Ty Simpson, Alabama
The Steelers aren't equipped with multiple options at quarterback in the first round. In what's largely considered a one-QB draft, the Las Vegas Raiders are expected to take Fernando Mendoza at No. 1 overall. The next best quarterback is probably Alabama's Ty Simpson, who the Steelers could potentially target with the 21st pick.
Simpson occasionally looked like a top-10 selection at Alabama. His progress stalled as the season progressed and the Crimson Tide sputtered. Simpson is inexperienced as a one-year college starter. In an ideal world, he sits behind Rodgers and learns for a year.
Round 2: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
No quarterback was more effective at this year's Panini Senior Bowl than LSU's Garrett Nussmeier. Nussmeier looked poised, prepared, and accurate. He truly commanded a new offense that he was tasked with learning on the fly. The best example arrived during Thursday's practice, where he executed a two-minute drill during the team period and got his team in position for a game-winning simulation field goal.
Nussmeier performed like a potential No. 1 overall selection as a junior at LSU in 2024, throwing for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns. His senior campaign was derailed by a recurring injury, inconsistent play, and head coaching drama with Brian Kelly's in-season firing. If the Steelers can land Nussmeier at 53rd overall, that would be a home-run gamble.
Round 3: Carson Beck, Miami
Miami Hurricanes signal-caller Carson Beck went to the Shannon Dawson and Mario Cristobal school of quarterbacking this past season. He was viewed as a reclamation project after previously failing to meet expectations at Georgia. Beck performed admirably this past year, but it wasn't exactly a Cam Ward-like glow-up, either.
Beck's Hurricanes reached the National Championship, but he was more of a game manager than a true driver. Beck benefited from a strong supporting cast, throwing for 3,813 yards and 30 touchdowns. Beck could realistically be the third quarterback drafted in the 70-100 range, and the Steelers possess enough capital in that third round to target him.
