Ty Simpson's Chances Of Being The Steelers' Quarterback Are Quickly Growing

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been stuck in quarterback purgatory for years, and the fan base has been hoping for the vicious cycle at the position to end. Fans want the organization to find a franchise quarterback, but that is much easier said than done, especially when the team does not have good draft positioning year in and year out due to the franchise constantly being mediocre. The Steelers are once again in no position to draft a top quarterback in 2026 as they hold the 21st overall selection, but the quarterback class is also significantly weaker than it has been in years past. Fernando Mendoza seems to be the only quarterback that is going to be a high selection.

The Steelers are playing the Aaron Rodgers-game again as the quarterback is still deciding between retirement and coming back to Pittsburgh. A decision is expected before free agency, but it shouldn't rule out General Manager Omar Khan deciding to draft a quarterback. The top quarterback option for the Steelers is Ty Simpson out of Alabama, and he is considered the best quarterback in the draft class behind Mendoza. He is the only real quarterback option for Pittsburgh at 21, and picking him there would even be a reach. Beat writer Christopher Carter joined 93.7 The Fan on Friday where he spoke about the quarterback.

"Ty Simpson is the next best quarterback in this draft class [behind Mendoza]," Carter said. "I want to talk to him, get a sense about the Steelers visit. I have been told by sources that the Steelers have talked with him and they were impressed with how he interviewed."

This topic came up as Carter was sharing how busy of a morning it was going to be at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine. Mendoza, Simpson, and the class' top wide receivers were all scheduled to speak to the media. Carter wanted to focus on Simpson during that time because he had heard that the organization was impressed by his interview, and the beat writer also wanted to speak with some of the best wide receivers.

Carter has sources that shared with him that the interview with Simpson went really well as mentioned, which is a good sign for the young quarterback. There will be better players to take on the board with the 21st overall pick, but it seems he is certainly in the running for the selection.

Picking Simpson with the 21st overall pick would certainly be risky. There is a chance that this would be a desperation pick by the Steelers, and there would immediately be chatter about ownership forcing the splashy pick since the 2026 NFL Draft is being held in Pittsburgh, PA. Drafting Simpson in the first round would be eerily similar to when the organization drafted Kenny Pickett back in 2022. He wasn't a first round talent, but the franchise brought him in out of necessity and desperation at quarterback. That proved to be no way to draft, and hopefully the organization learned its lesson.

Steelers Must Use Top Pick On A Different Position

Pittsburgh's biggest weakness, outside of quarterback, is at wide receiver, and the franchise should be desperate to find some play-makers. There is no reason that wide receiver should not be the pick at 21, especially with a player like Denzel Boston potentially being on the board. The franchise can also consider getting aggressive and using some of its 12 selections to move up in the first round to land a high-end wide out.

Cornerback and defensive line are two spots that could also be addressed. Those would probably be the better picks for the organization rather than reaching on a risky quarterback prospect. It is important to consider the future of the franchise, and reaching for Simpson has way more cons than pros.

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