For over a year, the Steelers were very open about what they wanted to do in 2026. Art Rooney II, General Manager Omar Khan, and Assistant General Manager Andy Weidl all said the same thing: they wanted a quarterback in the first round. Then Art Rooney II went on WTAE on Friday. Said something that changed everything.
He said: “I think I can tell you one thing, it’s probably not going to be a quarterback. But beyond that it’s wide open. Of course, it depends on what happens in front of us. But, you know, I think it’ll be exciting to build. Interesting. A lot of interesting players in this Draft… But as you probably know, we have 12 selections in this Draft. So we have an opportunity to really add some talent to the roster.”
The Steelers can still get a quarterback in the rounds
Rooney II’s comments do not mean they will not get a quarterback. The Steelers are interested in Alabama’s Ty Simpson. Everyone knows it.
It is interesting that the GM is talking about this before the draft. The Steelers are hosting the draft this year, and they pick 21st overall. Teams like the Steelers do not tell everyone what they are going to do before the draft.
The Steelers do not know what Aaron Rodgers is going to do. Rooney II said he expected Rodgers to make a decision before the draft, but the QB has not made a decision yet.
It is hard to use a first-round pick on a quarterback when you do not know what Rodgers is going to do. The Steelers already have Will Howard and Mason Rudolph on the team.
The Steelers have 12 picks in the draft. They can use some of these picks to get a quarterback if they want to.
I think the GM is just trying to manage what people expect. If the Steelers get Simpson or maybe another QB, it should not be a surprise.