The Pittsburgh Steelers are stuck in quarterback purgatory, and early signs show that this could easily continue into 2027 and beyond. They can't rely on Aaron Rodgers forever, and the two young guys behind him are not seen as future starting-caliber quarterbacks by pundits outside of Pittsburgh. On top of that, expectations are that the team will be slated around Pick 20 again in the 2027 NFL Draft, which may put them out of range for one of the top-tier quarterback prospects depending on how many of them there actually are.
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Steelers' Omar Khan looking on while scouting players ahead of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The free agency class of 2027 could bear some fruit for the team that refuses to entertain the idea of "rebuilding." Barring any significant developments soon, guys like Baker Mayfield and Mac Jones are expected to be available to sign with any team, and either of those options could help the Steelers finally get over the hump and win in the playoffs if they are able to sign either of them.
As time goes on, the idea of signing Mayfield becomes more and more likely. While making an appearance on 93.7 The Fan, insider Mike Florio explained how the Steelers could end up with the journeyman quarterback in 2027.
"[Baker] Mayfield is an interesting cat, and I hope he ends up in Pittsburgh..." Florio said. "This guy will bet on himself because he has and he's won. That's why I think the [Tampa Bay Buccaneers] got to be careful, because they think they're going to offer him more than anyone else, but if you give him freedom, he has the right to take less from a team like the Steelers if he chooses to do so just to prove a point to the Buccaneers."
When it comes to being petty, no quarterback in the NFL can arguably compare to Mayfield. Throughout his whole football career, he has made an example out of everyone that has ever doubted him. Florio brought up the old college story of him transferring from the Texas Tech Red Raiders to the Oklahoma Sooners before he even played there just because he lost the starting job at Texas Tech.
Florio also mentioned that Mayfield put a deadline on his contract negotiations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers: the start of training camp. If he does not get what he wants by that time, he will just play out the final year of his contract and go to a team that is seemingly more interested in keeping him around than the Buccaneers. If that happens, the Steelers will definitely be ready with a contract offer.
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Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger greets Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield
The interesting part about all this is the idea that he would take less money. Granted, the quarterback market is insane at this point, but if he's willing to take something like $45 million from the Steelers as opposed to $50 million from the Buccaneers, that's a massive difference that would make him a more attractive free agent. Pittsburgh would need to clear out a lot of cap space, but if he's available for the right price, they can make it work.
Steelers Would Be A Great Fit For Mayfield
On the flip side, there's a lot in Pittsburgh for Mayfield to get excited about. There's the aforementioned young quarterback situation, where the young guys don't seem to inspire a lot of confidence. Even if Will Howard proves everyone wrong, he would have to play at a very high level to justify making him the starter while passing on the journeyman gunslinger.
On the petty side of things, Mayfield will get to play the Cleveland Browns twice a year. He would love nothing more than to dunk on the team that abandoned him on a regular basis. He even led the Browns to their first playoff win since the franchise returned in 1999, and it was against the Steelers, yet they still moved on from him. Getting to dominate them every year would fire him up for sure.
What do you think about Mayfield potentially taking a discount to play for the Steelers? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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