Steelers' Mike McCarthy May Be Tempted To Go After Savvy QB: "He's Liking What He's Seeing"

The Pittsburgh Steelers are going to be a team to watch when it comes to selecting a quarterback in the 2026 NFL Draft. The franchise is still waiting on a decision from four-time league MVP Aaron Rodgers, but the organization is still doing its homework on several prospects that will be available during the event in April. The Steelers have been said to have interest in Carson Beck and Cole Payton, while there are some other players that could be considered as well. 

There is an obvious connection between the Steelers and one of the quarterback prospects entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Garrett Nussmeier out of LSU is expected to be a mid-round selection after a disappointing final season in college. His father coached under the new Steelers' head coach, Mike McCarthy, while the two were with the Dallas Cowboys where they spent three full seasons together. Doug Nussmeier was McCarthy's quarterback coach, and now Garrett could end up being a player for McCarthy.

McCarthy attended LSU's Pro Day on Monday, and he got to watch Garrett throw in person. Tripp Buhler, a student-reporter at LSU, was able to provide some insight on how the coach was acting while watching Garrett throw the football.

McCarthy is considered a quarterback guru by many around the league, so what he thinks about certain quarterbacks is usually taken pretty seriously. That is why the fan base in Pittsburgh has been able to get so excited about Will Howard, who McCarthy has spoken highly of ever since he got to Pittsburgh. According to Buhler, the head coach also seemed to be thrilled while watching his former colleague's son. Drafting a quarterback like Garrett would certainly shake up Pittsburgh's quarterback room, but it could pay off in the long run.

Garrett was expected be a first-round pick before the 2025 season began, but he had a down year. His head coach got fired in the middle of the season, and he seemed to be dealing with nagging injuries throughout the 2025 campaign. He was eventually medically benched, and he has been recovering ever since. The main injury that Garrett was dealing with was an abdominal injury, which is tough for a quarterback to play through as the pain can seriously disrupt one's throwing motion.

Garrett's stock is down after a tough season in 2025, but the player that was projected to be a first-round pick might still be inside there somewhere. If McCarthy truly likes what he saw from the quarterback, there is a chance that the Steelers could grab him in the third round of the event. There could be great value in making a selection like that, as his draft stock could have been mainly effected by his injury. 

Steelers Probably Won't Need To Draft A Quarterback

If Rodgers decides that he wants to return for the 2026 season, the Steelers would have no reason to draft a quarterback. However, there is no guarantee that the organization will find out about Rodgers' intentions before the draft kicks off. Pittsburgh usually carries four quarterbacks into training camp, and Howard and Mason Rudolph are already under contract for the 2026 season. If Rodgers returns, that would be three signal-callers, and the fourth on the training camp roster would probably be an undrafted rookie. There is no need to waste draft capital on the position if it is not necessary. The only scenario in which the Steelers should select Garrett is if McCarthy truly believes he could be a starter at the NFL level, which would be hard to believe.

What do you think about this information out of LSU? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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