The Pittsburgh Steelers took a swing on Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 draft. They thought he could be their next franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, that decision blew up in their faces, and the Steelers remain stuck in quarterback purgatory. While they’re loaded up on draft picks this year, draft expert Daniel Jeremiah thinks that the Steelers should wait until next year to select a quarterback.

“If I just laid out an offseason plan for you here, these 12 picks, I want to take at least two of these picks, you could take two third-round picks, I’m getting ammunition in [2027],” Jeremiah said Tuesday on his 40s and Free Agents podcast. “People always say, ‘Everybody always talks about the next quarterback draft class.’ I’m telling you, this quarterback draft class is not great, and there are going to be bona fide dudes next year. Not that long ago, we saw six quarterbacks go in the top 12.

“I’m not saying it’s to that extreme, but there’s going to be talent there. If I were them, I wouldn’t force the young quarterback this year. I would try and get some assets for next year. Bring in your new head coach. It might be a situation where they might have a losing season next year, something that they never had under Mike Tomlin. But it might be for the greater good.”

That’s very similar to what many analysts said last year, and to be fair, they weren’t wrong. The 2025 quarterback class didn’t impress, especially the options who were available to the Steelers.

Jaxson Dart showed flashes as a rookie, but he battled injuries, and it’s too early to say that he’s a franchise guy. Similar things could be said about other rookie signal callers like Shedeur Sanders and Tyler Shough.

While Steelers fans might be frustrated if the team waits another year to find its next franchise quarterback, Jeremiah is right that this year’s crop doesn’t look too impressive. Fernando Mendoza looks like a stud, but the Steelers won’t have a chance to draft him, barring an extreme development.

Alabama’s Ty Simpson might be the next best option, but he only has one full year as a starter under his belt. There’s a lot of risk attached to that. If he doesn’t pan out, the Steelers could miss out on a stronger 2027 class.

And that class might be worth the wait. The Steelers forced drafting Pickett. They shouldn’t make that mistake twice. If they love a prospect, then they should take him in the first round. However, drafting a quarterback just because they have a need at the position isn’t wise.

Also, Jeremiah is correct that the Steelers could be in for a down 2026 season. Mike Tomlin often got credit for keeping them from hitting rock bottom. It remains to be seen who the Steelers’ next head coach will be, but he might struggle to meet the standard set by Tomlin, especially if Pittsburgh doesn’t find a quality quarterback.

Art Rooney II doesn’t want the Steelers to rebuild. However, a team can’t win it all every year. George Seifert was the last rookie head coach to lead his team to a Super Bowl title. That was the 1989 San Francisco 49ers, and Seifert inherited a team featuring Joe Montana, Jerry Rice, and Ronnie Lott. The Steelers’ roster does not have nearly that level of talent.

There’s no guarantee that the Steelers will have a better shot at drafting a franchise quarterback next year. However, it’s something to keep in mind as draft season begins. Patience is a virtue.