Steelers Sparked A Massive Move On Draft Night In 2025 That Shook The League

The Pittsburgh Steelers were one of the few teams that felt like they absolutely needed a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft. The organization held the 21st overall pick in the event, and it was thought that the Steelers would have their pick of the quarterbacks after top prospect Cam Ward went to the Tennessee Titans with the first overall pick. Initially, it was believed that either Shedeur Sanders or Jaxson Dart would also go in the Top 10, but both players ended up being available when Pittsburgh was picking at 21.

The quarterback class in 2025 was not considered to be strong, but the Steelers were desperate at the position. Despite that, the franchise seemed to have learned a lesson from reaching for Kenny Pickett in 2022, and it instead decided to draft defensive tackle Derrick Harmon. 

\This made the other quarterback-needy teams that passed in the first round start to make calls about jumping back into the first round via trade, and that is what ended up happening for the New York Giants. The details of the Giants moving back up into the first round to draft Dart were explained by Jordan Raanan in a recent article for ESPN.

"Talks about moving up became serious after the Pittsburgh Steelers bypassed a quarterback at No. 21." Raanan wrote. "[Joe] Schoen, however, was intent on not including his first of two third-round picks in the deal. A source told ESPN on the morning of the draft the Giants' goal was to trade their second-round pick (No. 34 overall) and second third-rounder (No. 99) to get back into the first round."

Giants General Manager Joe Schoen knew going into the draft that there was going to be a chance that the franchise could move up into the first round of the event, and as soon as Pittsburgh passed on a quarterback the Giants jumped at the opportunity. New York is likely extremely happy with the way things worked out as it landed a potential franchise quarterback, and also avoided moving all the way up to 21 as the franchise did try to trade with Pittsburgh.

It was revealed in the Giants' behind-the-scenes video of the draft that the organization did contact Pittsburgh to try and get a trade together, but nothing came from it. This wound up being a good thing for New York, as it would have overpaid for a quarterback when the Steelers never planned to take one.

New York wound up striking a deal with the Houston Texans, who held the 25th overall pick. The Giants gave up their second-round pick in the deal, as well as the 99th overall pick, and their third-round selection in 2026 for the rights to draft Dart. Houston did that deal with ease as it is one of the best teams in the AFC, and additional draft capital will help gather depth to fill out the roster.

Dart probably won't play for New York immediately, but there is a chance he could see the field some during his rookie year. The franchise is probably planning for Dart to be the quarterback in 2026 and beyond, while the Steelers are still searching for a solution at quarterback.

Steelers Are Still Holding Out For Aaron Rodgers

Pittsburgh could very well end up regretting the decision to pass on Dart with the 21st overall pick. The organization is still waiting on a decision from veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, while the future at the position seems extremely bleak in Pittsburgh. Rodgers is nothing more than a band-aid at the position, while the Steelers are in desperate need for a franchise quarterback.

The organization has begun taking steps towards acquiring its next franchise quarterback. The franchise is expected to have12 picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, which could be used in a trade to fly up the draft board to land a quarterback.

What do you think about the Steelers sparking one of the biggest trades of the 2025 NFL Draft? Let us know in the comments below!

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