Steelers Now Connected To Questionable 2026 Quarterback Prospect After The Hiring Of Mike McCarthy

The Pittsburgh Steelers had to deal with a coaching search for the first time in nearly two decades after Mike Tomlin announced that he would be stepping down. The fan base was excited about what was ahead for the organization as fans have begging the franchise to inject some youth on the coaching staff and get more innovative. There were candidates that fit that mold, but Pittsburgh did the most Pittsburgh thing possible and hired Mike McCarthy. He becomes the third-oldest head coach in the league immediately, and the hire has been criticized by most.

The one upside of hiring McCarthy is that he is an offensive-minded coach, which makes him completely different from Pittsburgh's last three head coaches. It is good that the organization went in that direction. Another key point to consider is McCarthy's history of developing quarterbacks, which is an area that the Steelers need some help in as the organization has been struggling at the position ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season.

Pittsburgh has just two quarterbacks under contract for the 2026 season, and they are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard. Fans do not want to see Rudolph be the starter as everyone already knows what he can do, and the untapped potential with Howard is intriguing at the very least. It will be interesting to see how Howard develops under McCarthy, and if the new head coach decides to draft a quarterback during the 2026 NFL Draft.

The quarterback class in 2026 is underwhelming and the Steelers hold the 21st selection in the event, which puts them out of reach of any top prospect that would be worth drafting. There are some intriguing names that will be available later on like Ty Simpson, Trinidad Chambliss, and Carson Beck. Another name to consider is former LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

Nussmeier is currently ranked the fourth-best quarterback in the 2026 class by ESPN, although that can be debated as some consider him to be lower than Beck. Nussmeier has a connection with McCarthy though, which should create some noise around the franchise potentially drafting him. ESPN expects him to go off the board in the third or fourth round, but a lot can change before the event in April.

Nussmeier's dad, Doug Nussmeier, worked on McCarthy's coaching staff while the two were with the Dallas Cowboys. Doug was with the team for three seasons from 2020 through 2022 and he served as the quarterbacks coach under McCarthy. The two are close, which means that McCarthy might take an extra look or two at Garrett, especially due to Pittsburgh's need at quarterback.

Garrett had a decent college career, but he was projected to be a surefire first-round pick ahead of the 2025 season. Things didn't work out that and he had a down year, and was eventually medically benched. He had been playing through an abdominal injury and was also dealing with patellar tendinitis in his knee. Both of those injuries would make it hard to play football in the SEC, so maybe that first-round talent will still be there once he returns to full health.

Steelers May Have Some Competition For Garrett Nussmeier

By no means should Nussmeier be considered a top prospect, but if he starts filling into the later rounds of Day 3 of the event the Steelers should certainly considered selecting him. He would be a good value pick at that point. 

However, it seems like a long shot that he gets to that point. The New Orleans Saints have a trade piece in Spencer Rattler, and if the franchise moves on from him, it could be in the market for a backup quarterback. Garrett would make sense based off of the Louisiana connection alone, but also because his father is the offensive coordinator for the Saints.

What do you think of Pittsburgh potentially drafting Garrett? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation