Steelers' 2026 Starter Could Be A Rookie As "Interest Is Real" With Emerging Quarterback Prospect

The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the many teams across the NFL that have a true question mark at the quarterback position. The issue with that is that the franchise is in no place to draft a quarterback near the top of the 2026 NFL Draft, and this draft class is fairly weak at the position. The organization will probably be waiting until 2027 or 2028 to find its next franchise quarterback, which leaves the position up for grabs in 2026. Aaron Rodgers could still decide to come back and play on another one-year deal, but no decision has been made on that front quite yet.

With the future of Rodgers still being undecided, the Steelers need to explore all options when it comes to the quarterback position. The two guys currently on the roster at the position for the 2026 season are Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, and there is a lot of excitement surrounding Howard potentially being able to start if Rodgers does not return. The other options come through the 2026 NFL Draft, where there are some mid-round prospects that Pittsburgh could consider. Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday morning, where he was asked about Pittsburgh meeting with former Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck.

"Yeah, but I'm wondering how long he'll last," Fittipaldo said. "He's in that second wave of quarterbacks. He's not [Fernando] Mendoza or [Ty] Simpson, but he's probably in that next tier. You'd probably have to draft him I think with one of your top five picks, one of your top 100 picks, and I don't know if I would do that. They had a formal with him at the [NFL] Combine, now he's in here, that tells you that the interest is real there. Whether it's Beck or somebody else, they do have to kind of protect themselves. One way or another by the draft, I think they'll have an idea of if Rodgers is coming back."

Beck was viewed as an eventual top quarterback prospect during the start of his college career as a starter at Georgia, but the end of his time at Georgia did not go great. He had some private messages leaked where he spoke about how much he hated playing football, and he was painted in a bad light for a few months. He transferred to Miami and forced fans to forget about that as he led the Hurricanes to the National Championship.

The Steelers met with Beck during the NFL's Scouting Combine, and the organization hosted him on a visit this week. That means he is certainly a prospect that the franchise might consider drafting, and he has improved his draft stock since the end of the 2025 season. If Pittsburgh ends up drafting him it probably means that Rodgers won't be returning, and he would likely be a backup on the depth chart.

The franchise is excited about Howard, and many reporters believe he is considered to be the backup plan if Rodgers decides to retire or play elsewhere. Selecting Beck would be viewed as an insurance policy for that, as both he and Howard have plenty of starting experience at the college level, but neither have stepped foot on an NFL field.

Steelers Would Be Better Off Adding A Veteran Quarterback

If Howard is truly the backup option at quarterback for the Steelers, it would make more sense to add a veteran to the room rather than a rookie if Rodgers does not return. Rudolph has some experience and could guide Howard, but another veteran would be good as well. Having two voices with experience and knowledge of the game at the NFL level will only help, while a rookie like Beck would not be as beneficial to Howard. He would have to keep looking over his shoulder as Beck awaited his opportunity.

What do you think about the Steelers going after Beck in the draft? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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