Ex-Steelers OC Todd Haley Explains Why He Thought Drafting Patrick Mahomes Would've Been A "Waste"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have still not come up with an adequate succession plan for Ben Roethlisberger, even though he retired four years ago. The resurgence of Aaron Rodgers in 2025 has been noteworthy, but he is still a short-term option. The best-case scenario is that he could maybe come back to the team in 2026 and mentor whoever Pittsburgh drafts that year. At this point, nothing is certain, and the only hope right now is that the 41-year-old gives everything he has left to secure some sort of success beyond a nine-win season. 

The Steelers were repeatedly blasted for not having any sort of succession plan for Roethlisberger even back when he was on the team. During an interview with Gambling Industry News, former offensive coordinator, Todd Haley, was asked about that kind of mindset, especially for a team like Pittsburgh.

"When you feel like your team is really close, and you have a big-time quarterback, which Ben was – he was at the peak of his career during that stretch – it’s hard," Haley explained. "No. 1, you’re usually picking at the end of the draft because you’re good. And No. 2, to use one of those picks on a succession plan, it’s really hard to do. That one guy – T.J. Watt, Bud Dupree, whoever you draft – might be the guy that gets you over the hump. Everybody’s goal is to win the Super Bowl, but we know the Steelers. That is the true standard."

There is no denying that the Steelers' offense in the mid-2010s was electric. There is also no denying that the defense was rebuilding after the legendary 2000s unit had all retired or regressed heavily. Of course, the front office would be more concerned with the side of the ball that was actively holding the team back and lowering its ceiling. Pittsburgh did its due diligence, however. 

Haley continued on by giving 2017 as a perfect example, with quarterback Patrick Mahomes still being draft eligible then. 

"We talked about it. We’d have Mahomes and those guys in for visits," Haley said. "As offensive coaches, we all loved him. But you’ve got to make that decision. Are we going to have a guy for the future and waste a No. 1 pick essentially by not giving another part of the team a piece that is desperately needed?"

The Steelers had just come off a loss in the AFC Championship game, so they thought they were close. Why would they not only use their first-round pick on a quarterback, but trade up and give away lots of other potential pieces to build on a squad that thinks that its championship window is still open? That was the Steelers' mindset, so while everyone in the building loved Mahomes, they had no interest in paying up to get him. 

The Kansas City Chiefs gave up the 27th overall pick, their third-round pick that year, and a 2018 first-round pick to move up to pick 10 and select Mahomes. The Steelers likely would have had to add a bit more to do the trade themselves if they wanted to draft him. That would have resulted in them being unable to draft superstar edge rusher TJ Watt, among other players. 

Steelers Had To Deal With Double-Edged Sword

Starting in the 2019 season, it seemed like the Steelers were just a quarterback away from contending. However, a lot of that was due to Watt's impact on the defense. Having Mahomes would have been nice, but that defense would most likely be nothing like the one we've seen in the past six seasons if #90 was not in Black and Gold. Some would say it's worth it, and maybe they're right. In the end, all we can do is speculate.

What do you think about Haley's reasoning for not being interested in drafting Mahomes in 2017, as well as the seemingly lack of a succession plan for Roethlisberger? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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