Steelers' Primary Reason For Doing Absolutely Nothing At Trade Deadline Is Revealed

Many fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers were frustrated with the team brass after the trade deadline, as they did not execute any deals right before time ran out. There were reports of General Manager Omar Khan trying to score some deals, but nothing ever came to fruition. The week before, they did manage to give up a late-round pick swap to bring in safety Kyle Dugger, and his performance in Week 9 proved to be worth moving down a round at the end if the 2026 NFL Draft, so at least something was accomplished. 

In his recent column on the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, insider Gerry Dulac explained why the Steelers were so stingy on their draft capital ever since the 2025 regular season started. 

"The Steelers are trying to protect their draft capital — right now, they have 12 picks in April — because they know they have to stop the revolving door that has existed at quarterback since Ben Roethlisberger retired," Dulac said. "And, despite a college quarterback class that doesn’t appear to be as highly regarded as it was in September, it has not altered what the Steelers plan and hope to accomplish in the draft. If they want to move up in the first round, which they likely will have to do to get a quarterback they desire, it’s going to require putting together a package of draft picks so big FedEx might have to pick up and deliver."

Even though Aaron Rodgers has played well for the Steelers, he's almost 42 years old. He is not the long-term solution for Pittsburgh. Even if he does stay for one more season, it will be very smart of Pittsburgh to bring in a rookie that can learn behind him, so that young gun has the best chance of reaching his sky-high ceiling. 

The Steelers are expected to be loaded with mid-round picks, as they are projected to land the maximum number of compensatory picks allowed, which is four. That includes a third- and a fourth-round pick, with the off chance that the latter moves up as well. That should give Pittsburgh more ammunition to move up and make a deal.

As Dulac mentioned, almost all of the draft-eligible quarterbacks have been very underwhelming at this point. The only one truly standing out at this point is Fernando Mendoza, and if these trends continue, he will be well out of Pittsburgh's reach. They may have to settle for a young guy with a very high ceiling with an extremely low floor and have him sit and develop for as long as possible.

Steelers' Competition For First-Round Quarterbacks

The Steelers can just go ahead and kiss the first overall pick goodbye. They were never going to be bad enough to get the first passer off the board, but the New York Jets amassed loads of draft capital at the trade deadline. They acquired three first-round picks over the next two drafts, as well as a second, and they own their own picks as well. They will likely have the first pick whether they are that bad or they trade up to get it.

The Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams both have a pair of first-round picks in 2026 as well, and both are expected to be in the market for a quarterback. Matthew Stafford is still a high-quality passer, but like with Rodgers, there are questions about how much time he has left. The Browns will be bad enough to likely get the second-best quarterback, and the Rams have the capital to trade up ahead of the Steelers.

If the Steelers want to trade up to make sure the Rams don't leapfrog them, it will cost them a fortune. They will have a projected 12 picks in 2026 and seven more in 2027 to toss around, but making it happen won't be easy. However, they would only be making life harder on themselves if they traded a mid-round pick for a rental veteran.

What do you think about the Steelers hoarding picks to possibly get a quarterback? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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