The Pittsburgh Steelers currently have an unsolved quarterback situation. Aaron Rodgers is still deciding on his future, and there is a chance that the veteran quarterback could retire. The hope is that Rodgers will make his decision prior to the 2026 NFL Draft, but it is unknown if that will happen and the four-time league MVP could wait until June again to sign for the second offseason in a row. The Steelers only have two quarterbacks on the roster currently for the 2026 season in Mason Rudolph and Will Howard, and outside of that, the plan at the position is unclear.
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Steelers General Manager Omar Khan stands in front of the press as he speaks and answers questions during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, IN.
The Steelers have wanted to bring in veteran quarterbacks with significant starting experience over the last several seasons, with the goal of going on a run in the postseason. First it was Russell Wilson in 2024, and then Rodgers in 2025. The franchise is waiting on Rodgers for 2026, but there were other veteran options on the market for Pittsburgh. Kirk Cousins is still available, and Joe Flacco was also available until he re-signed with the Cincinnati Bengals on Tuesday. The quarterback spoke to the media in Cincinnati on Wednesday, and he expressed his frustration about not getting a chance to sign to be a starter with a quarterback-needy team.
"I feel like I can help a team win," Flacco said. "Yeah, it may be in a different role here, but I do still think I can help this team win in that role. I had a lot of fun with Joe [Burrow], and Joe's the guy. Believe me, I wish I was a guy somewhere, and I think teams are dumb for not having me be that guy, but it is what it is. I'm not going to let them, or it, get me down."
Flacco has had a resurgence late in his career. The 41-year-old has played well for a variety of teams this decade, and it sounds like he was hoping to get a chance to be signed by a team where he could have a chance to start. That is obviously not the case in Cincinnati as Joe Burrow is considered to be one of the best quarterbacks in the league, but a quarterback-needy team like the Steelers could have been a potential landing spot in Flacco's mind.
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Bengals QB Joe Flacco celebrates with wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase after a big-time score against the Steelers on Thursday Night Football in the 2025 NFL season.
The Steelers know Flacco well from his time with the Baltimore Ravens where he won a Super Bowl, and was named Super Bowl MVP. He has also beaten Pittsburgh in each of the last two seasons. He entered a game against the Steelers when he was with the Indianapolis Colts during the 2024 season, and he also beat Pittsburgh while he was with the Bengals in 2025. His career resurgence began in 2023 when he led the Cleveland Browns to a playoff berth down the stretch.
Flacco has proven he can win when he has weapons around him, and there is reason to believe that he would have some sort of success playing with the Steelers. It doesn't seem like Pittsburgh showed him any interest, while he could have also had other teams in the back of his mind when making these comments.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' Patrick Queen disrupts a pass from Joe Flacco in 2024.
Steelers Could Have Allowed Joe Flacco To Play For Every AFC North Team
Flacco has spent most of his career in the AFC North. He was clearly the franchise quarterback for the Ravens before Lamar Jackson came along, and he then spent some time in other spots around the league. He joined the Browns in 2023, and then he was traded to the Bengals in the middle of the 2025 season. Had signing with Pittsburgh during the 2026 offseason been a possibility, he would have been able to say he played with all four teams in the division at some point.
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