The Pittsburgh Steelers are enjoying a Week 5 bye as the organization sits atop the AFC North standings with plenty of room to improve in all three phases of the game. The leadership throughout the Steel City is happy to support the franchise and NFL, which is why the 2026 NFL Draft will be held on the North Shore in late April. This will be an extremely exciting time for the local community, and it could be even better if General Manager Omar Khan makes a big move to trade up in the hopes of drafting the next quarterback of the future.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers General Manager Omar Khan stands over near and signs pictures for the fans as the team prepares to work out during a training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Pittsburgh elected to draft Will Howard in the sixth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but he will not be handed a starting job without entering a competition with another young signal-caller. It always has been expected that the 2026 class would be stronger, which is why teams like the Steelers didn't invest too much capital to bring in players like Shedeur Sanders, Dillon Gabriel, or any of the other individuals taken in the first five rounds or so in 2025.
Unfortunately, the 2026 class is starting to get a little bit of a bad reputation. The Steelers could have taken the bye week to closely watch several quarterbacks, with Khan and Head Coach Mike Tomlin having some extra time on their hands because of the break. Many of the top prospects, however, were on byes themselves, including Fernando Mendoza, Lanoris Sellers, Garrett Nussmeier, Sam Leavitt and Dante Moore.
John Mateer for the Oklahoma Sooners sat out due to injury, and despite playing Kent State, his backup in Michael Hawkins Jr. looked very capable. Pittsburgh lost out on the opportunity to intently pay attention to so many solid prospects in a live format. Watching tape is one thing, but Tomlin and co. won't get many chances to evaluate these prospects with their own eyes in a legitimate setting.
Additionally, some of the more attractive names heading into the season that did play had a rough go of things. Penn State got embarrassed by one of the worst teams in the country in UCLA, with Drew Allar throwing for less than 200 yards. He was effective on the ground, but did not look like a quarterback worth investing in.
On top of that, when the University of Texas needed Arch Manning most, he threw two big interceptions down the stretch in a loss to Florida, adding to a rocky start to the campaign.
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University of Texas quarterback Arch Manning gets ready to let go of a football while warming up on the sidelines during a collegiate football contest.
It may not seem like that big of a deal in early October that 2026 quarterback prospects are struggling, but it surely isn't inspiring any confidence in the Steel City. It's also extremely unfortunate that so many big names were on bye weeks. It could have been a great Saturday of college football for the Steelers' decision-makers to pay close attention to.
Some credit has to be given to both Carson Beck and Cade Klubnik for strong play, but neither is necessarily being looked at as an immediate starter at the professional level.
All of us when any 2026 quarterback does anything remotely nice. pic.twitter.com/23SnoN0eMm
— Jon Helmkamp (@JonHelmkamp) September 21, 2025
All in all, Pittsburgh sits at 3-1 and is enjoying a nice break from competitive play, but the future of the organization took a small hit due to several different factors. Prospects playing weren't all that impressive and important people like Tomlin didn't get to sit down and watch games of several top arms from start to finish. Sure, the Steelers have scouts for a reason, but all fans in the Steel City know that Tomlin is the one making the final decisions when it comes to the roster.
Pittsburgh's brass will get an opportunity after a Week 7 Thursday Night Football game against the Cincinnati Bengals to have a more relaxing Saturday than normal, so the hope is that weekend provides more positive college football with the majority of the top prospects set to be out on the field.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin roams the practice field as his team works out during a 2025 training camp practice at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
Steelers Can't Continue To Handle Quarterback Situation Year By Year
While it's well known that the selection of Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft was an epic failure, Pittsburgh still remains stagnant in its quarterback approach. Now, with 2026 possibly being the year to get it right, there are some serious concerns with the class that may be coming in. There is still plenty of time, but looking ahead, it may not be as perfect of a situation as originally thought.
Do you think that the Steelers' future took a small hit during the bye week? Let us know in the comments below!
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