Steelers Could Now Have A New Aggressive Plan To Find Next Franchise QB In 2027

The Pittsburgh Steelers have only selected two quarterbacks in the first round of the NFL Draft in the 21st century, with one being the legendary Ben Roethlisberger and the other being Kenny Pickett. Roethlisberger was way more than the organization could have ever asked for, while Pickett was a major failure. The Steelers have had very little turnover at quarterback, as Roethlisberger held down the starting spot for almost 20 consecutive seasons. With the looming retirement of current quarterback Aaron Rodgers, Pittsburgh could be on the hunt for its next franchise quarterback, and a big move might be in order. 

The decision to draft Pickett was met with concern immediately, and while he did show flashes, his tenure in Pittsburgh ended up being a failure as mentioned. It only lasted two seasons and 25 regular-season games. 

The Steelers recently selected quarterbacks Drew Allar and Will Howard in 2026, but the team has yet to see enough from them to prove that either could be the next player in line. Neither player has started a regular-season game, but they both could get the opportunity in the 2027 season if Pittsburgh does not immediately sign or draft another quarterback. The jury is still out on the futures of both players, and in the meantime, the Steelers might look to make a splash move during the 2027 NFL Draft.

During a recent chat session, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac mentioned the possibility of the Steelers trading up in the 2027 NFL Draft to select a quarterback from the deeply talented pool of players set to declare.

"They can still move up, especially if teams have multiple first-round selections," Dulac said. "It is just a matter of what they like and how much they are willing to spend to move up."

Following the 2026 NFL trade deadline, there are now four teams that hold multiple first-round picks for the 2027 NFL Draft. It will take quite a splash move for the Steelers to trade up with one of these teams, as all four of them could be pursuing a quarterback themselves.

Steelers fans were not used to seeing the team scramble to find a quarterback, as it had made a living off being historically great at drafting. Since Roethlisberger retired, the Steelers have gone through a plethora of quarterbacks, including Justin Fields, Russell Wilson, Mitchell Trubisky, and Mason Rudolph, none of whom turned out to be the long-term answer. Most recently, the team signed the legendary Rodgers, who has provided arguably the best quarterback play in Pittsburgh since Roethlisberger retired. Rodgers announced that the 2026 NFL season would be his last, which will leave the Steelers questioning who their next signal-caller will be.

None of the highly ranked college quarterbacks have officially declared for the 2027 NFL Draft yet, as the college football regular season is still ongoing, but analysts have projected up to seven quarterbacks as being worthy of first-round selections. Surely the Steelers have been doing their research on the quarterback class in 2027 as the front office knows Rodgers' time is limited and the two young quarterbacks already on the roster might not be the answer. 

Steelers Have The Draft Capital To Trade Up For Franchise Quarterback

The Steelers will need to pay a steep price to move up in the first round of this highly talented draft class, but they have the draft capital to do so. Pittsburgh currently holds four picks in the first three rounds of the 2027 NFL Draft and another four in the first three rounds of the 2028 NFL Draft. The front office might decide that 2027 will be the team's best chance of finding its next franchise quarterback, and if they do, a major move could be made. 

It will be interesting to see what the Steelers do come springtime, as the NFL Draft hype will be at its highest point. 

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