New Information Disclosed About The Steelers' Interest In Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield

Excitement is at an all-time high for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but not necessarily because the team is projected to go on a Super Bowl run. There was a major changing of the guard following the resignation of longtime head coach Mike Tomlin. Mike McCarthy took over the reins and is already proving to be much different as 2026 training camp continues to progress. The organization is well aware that the fan base is exhausted after not experiencing a postseason victory since the 2016 campaign, so the best course of action was to have Aaron Rodgers back for one more season to help with continuity in the locker room.

What happens after the 2026 season is a complete mystery. There are a couple of young passers on the roster and one of them could eventually rise to the occasion of being a starter at the professional level. Both Will Howard and Drew Allar still have plenty of learning to do, but they also must prove themselves in the preseason and throughout practice sessions to convince the front office that someone else doesn't need to be brought in to compete come 2027.

Ever since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have been trying just about everything to find the right answers at the quarterback position. There is certainly excitement surrounding Howard and Allar, but neither has done enough to warrant the first spot on the depth chart once Rodgers leaves town and retires. This is why discussion continues to occur about what General Manager Omar Khan might do.

Once free agency commences in 2027, it's possible that a high-level starting-caliber quarterback could be available on the market. Baker Mayfield is having issues with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after the organization refused to offer him more than a two-year extension. He decided to set a deadline and, now that it has passed, won't be entertaining any negotiations.

With Rodgers already announcing that 2026 will be his final year, the Steelers will be one of the teams linked to Mayfield if he does become an unrestricted free agent. When the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Gerry Dulac was asked about this in a fan chat on Tuesday, he shut down the notion that Pittsburgh has interest in bringing in another veteran signal-caller via free agency.

"I think their plan for 2027 and beyond is to be done with signing these veteran free-agent QBs. So, no," Dulac wrote.

Mayfield is 31 years old and has plenty of gas left in the tank. It would be a little bit different than the Steelers' signings of guys like Rodgers and Russell Wilson. However, a reporter who is very closely-connected to the team doesn't believe the future plans include someone with pedigree. It's time to truly develop a guy to be the long-term solution.

At some point, the Steelers really do need to strike gold in the quarterback department. There's no way to know if Howard or Allar could be the guy just yet, but the 2027 offseason will come with plenty of speculation because neither is projected to put a whole lot on film with Rodgers around. Exhibition matchups will be critical for the two so they can show the staff what they are made of, and if they have what it takes.

Even then, the preseason isn't nearly as competitive as the meaningful football games. It's hard to envision a world in which Khan doesn't take another stab at the position in either free agency or the NFL Draft. It would make almost no sense not to.

Steelers Can't Afford To Keep Kicking The Can Down The Road

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league. This means that Pittsburgh has consistently gotten lucky for five years or so. Most seasons have ended with postseason appearances and even though there were no victories, the team remained competitive. Now, with Rodgers certain that he will hang up his cleats, the front office needs to figure out what the future holds. Apparently, bringing in someone like Mayfield is not going to be in the discussion unless something drastic ends up happening.

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