The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long and storied history that is hard not to recognize as one of the best in all of professional sports. The organization has captured six Super Bowl championships, and continues to set the standard for excellence and consistency across the NFL landscape, as the team has not had a losing season dating back to the 2003 campaign. There have been so many iconic moments throughout the franchise's existence, and fans expect that to continue moving forward. A very exciting time is emerging, as the Steel City will host the 2026 NFL Draft on the North Shore.
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Steelers Team President Art Rooney II roams the sidelines as the team warms up and gets ready to compete in a 2022 preseason matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA.
Team Owner and President Art Rooney II has been under fire recently for not making the necessary calls to make tough decisions regarding the organization and coaching staff. Despite this, he has been very adamant about the refusal to rebuild, so it will be very intriguing to see what the outcome is during Mike McCarthy's first season at the helm. One big step for the new regime will be having a 12 total selections in the 2026 NFL Draft.
As fans in Pittsburgh are well aware, the stadium name for the team was changed from Heinz Field to Acrisure Stadium back in 2022. It was a very sad occurrence when the large ketchup bottles were removed from the Steelers' main scoreboard. However, that is where the big event is set to take place, with plenty of other activities and fun stuff planned at the end of April.
Via a league press released that was sent out on Wednesday morning, the NFL provided some awesome information about a new partnership with Kraft Heinz Company.
"The Kraft Heinz Company (NASDAQ: KHC) and the National Football League today announced a five-year global strategic partnership, uniting one of the world’s most beloved food portfolios with the most-watched sports league in the United States," the press release stated.
The best part about this is that the league will be recognizing the new partnership for the first time when the draft takes place in Pittsburgh. This is something that all fans will appreciate because of just how many great moments took place with those ketchup bottles and at the formerly-named Heinz Field.
"The partnership will officially begin in April at the upcoming NFL Draft, which is taking place in Pittsburgh, the birthplace of HEINZ. As the first activation in this partnership, HEINZ will be surprising and delighting fans in unexpected ways throughout Draft week."
The average football fan might not read too much into a partnership such as this, but the Steelers' faithful sure do. The announcement is not coming at a time like this due to coincidence. The NFL saw an opportunity to make the NFL Draft even more relevant to the Steel City, and what better way to do that than a newly-formed deal with Heinz just ahead of the big weekend.
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NFL commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to reporters at a Super Bowl LVI news conference outside SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, California..
Something that started in Pittsburgh is now expected to go even international when it comes to sports. The NFL noted that this new deal will also span across the world as the league looks to grow its fan base everywhere.
"The partnership also accelerates the NFL’s continued international expansion, with Kraft Heinz gaining access to select overseas games. Together, the NFL and Kraft Heinz will deliver exclusive fan experiences and unforgettable gameday celebrations centered around the foods fans already love."
In 1869, Harry Heinz was living in Pittsburgh and that is where his journey began. Now, the Steelers won't be the only franchise that has a connection to the company, with it being on full display during the 2026 NFL Draft and moving forward thanks to Roger Goodell and his team.
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NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks to Colleen Wolfe on the field before the league's 2024 contest in Munich, Germany between the New York Giants and Carolina Panthers.
Steelers Hoping Not To Disappoint The Fan Base Come Late April
With 12 selections — and now a bunch of nostalgic ketchup roaming around — fans in Pittsburgh are expecting the organization to get quite the haul. It's possible that the team doesn't make all of those picks, with trades being possible, but the little wrinkle from the NFL and Heinz is pretty cool considering where the company was born and how much it means to the city.
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