Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy during his introductory press conference on Jan. 27, 2026. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers hosted four quarterbacks on pre-draft visits over the last month, preparing for next week’s 2026 NFL Draft. Mike McCarthy’s team closely studied Miami’s Carson Beck, North Dakota State’s Cole Payton, Arkansas’ Taylen Green and Penn State’s Drew Allar.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio believes the Steelers’ interest in adding a signal-caller is legitimate.
“Some coaches and GMs would say, ‘You draft a quarterback every year, just to have one and see what he becomes,’” Florio said Wednesday on 93.7 The Fan. “We’ve talked about this before, the notion that the Will Howard love is just bluster, puffery aimed at creating a smokescreen so people won’t suspect them — whether it’s Round 1, Round 2, Round 7 or any in-between — when they’re on the clock. You don’t wanna get leapfrogged by somebody who’s thinking, ‘Hey, the Steelers may take the quarterback that we want here. We better jump them.’
“The Steelers, I don’t think, waste a lot of their time pre-draft on smokescreens, so I think you’ve gotta take at face value. Yeah, they’re looking. They’re kicking tires. They’re gonna examine their options.”
The Steelers are also still waiting on veteran passer Aaron Rodgers to decide whether he wants to return to Pittsburgh for a second season. He went 10-6 as their starter last go-round, passing for 3,322 yards, 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions.
McCarthy’s current quarterbacks are Will Howard, who didn’t take an in-game snap last season, and Mason Rudolph. Rudolph has been a backup for the Steelers for most of his career.
Mentioned In This Article: 2026 NFL Draft Mike Florio Pittsburgh Steelers Steelers