Steelers Finally Get An Accurate Price Tag On Possible QB Acquisition For 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers and General Manager Omar Khan have several positions of need they must address as they work to bounce back following a first-round playoff loss yet again. New head coach Mike McCarthy and his staff will have a very busy and hectic March and April as NFL free agency begins, followed in by the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. The Steelers are believed to be going after several positions of need, including cornerback and wide receiver. However, with the Steelers waiting on the decision of Aaron Rodgers, they may shift their focus in another direction at quarterback.

While rumors are swirling around Rodgers' potential return to Pittsburgh, it is not a foregone conclusion that he will be coming back for a second year to run it back in Pittsburgh. Rodgers does have a long history with McCarthy, but other teams have been linked to Rodgers should he return for another year. Should Rodgers decide to not come back, a price tag has been placed by CBS Sports on one potential trade target at the quarterback position should the Steelers have to pivot in their plans. 

The San Francisco 49ers did say that they ideally want to keep both starting quarterback Brock Purdy along with backup Mac Jones, but the price tag set on acquiring Jones is now a third-round pick. Jones filled in for the injured Purdy in 2025 and had a 5-3 record with a 69.6% completion percentage along with a 97.4 passer rating. While many attribute Jones' career resurgence in San Francisco to the Kyle Shanahan system, the former first-round quarterback could draw a lot of interest with a 2026 quarterback draft class that has lost a lot of its depth and value.

While the Steelers have a lot of cap room ahead of 2026, Jones has a projected cap hit of just over $3 million for 2026. This adds even more value for potential trade suitors for Jones in the offseason. This would especially make sense should the Steelers be looking outside of Rodgers as their signal-caller because they would then still have plenty of money to allocate towards other positions of need on their roster.

Steelers Are A Great Fit For Jones With McCarthy Taking Over

The coaching history of McCarthy is key in this situation for the Steelers. If their plans are to move on from Rodgers once a decision comes out, the experience of their new head coach plays an integral part around this position in particular. It has been noted before that through McCarthy's storied coaching career, he has coached the likes of Joe Montana, Brett Favre, and Dak Prescott.

That coaching history and list of quarterbacks is nothing to scoff at. While the belief is that Jones' resurgence in 2025 is associated to the success of Shanahan and the system in San Francisco as mentioned, McCarthy and Pittsburgh could be a perfect match for him to thrive in as well. Signing Jones with the minimal cap hit that he would likely bring will still allow Pittsburgh to actively look to upgrade at wide receiver and cornerback should they be able to pry him out of San Francisco. This could put him in a similar situation that he saw during his time filling in for Purdy in 2025.

Would you like to see the Steelers work to try and trade for San Francisco 49ers quarterback Mac Jones if Aaron Rodgers does not return? If not, who are some other quarterbacks in free agency and the 2026 NFL Draft you have your eye on? Let us know in the comments below!

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