A few days after catching flak for suggesting a Nick Herbig trade to address the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback position long term, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell doubled down on the Black and Gold trading for the same quarterback.

This time though, the longtime ESPN analyst pivoted with his proposed Steelers trade package to land Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee.

In a piece proposing 11 trades across the NFL landscape, Barnwell has Pittsburgh sending a 2026 third-round pick and a conditional 2027 third-round pick to land a quarterback for first-year head coach Mike McCarthy to develop.

“The Steelers aren’t rebuilding, but they can’t stay stuck in this QB cycle forever. Six different quarterbacks have started games for the Steelers over the past four years, and only one of them, veteran backup Mason Rudolph, is on the 2026 roster,” Barnwell writes. “Yes, 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard is also in the building, but the track record of sixth-round picks who aren’t Tom Brady turning into successful NFL quarterbacks is slim. Howard missed all of his first preseason because of a hand injury, which didn’t help matters.

“New head coach Mike McCarthy could reunite with Aaron Rodgers, but it’s worth remembering that those two parties weren’t exactly doing great work during their final days together in Green Bay, with Rodgers immediately winning consecutive MVP awards after McCarthy gave way to Matt LaFleur. Rodgers was a low-ceiling option during his age-42 season with the Steelers, and the chances of him falling further off a cliff in his mid-40s seem greater than his chances of improving.”

All signs are pointing toward the Steelers re-signing Rodgers, whom McCarthy has stated multiple times he wants back for his first year in the Steel City. But many national analysts like Barnwell continue to push for Pittsburgh looking elsewhere.

McKee is a popular name as of late. He brings very little starting experience to the table, though.

He’s appeared in just six NFL games with just two starts, so it’s very little to go off of. But he has impressed in those starts.

Last season in a Week 18 start against Washington, McKee completed 21-of-40 passes for 241 yards, one touchdown and one interception in a 24-17 loss. In 2024, McKee started against the New York Giants in Week 17 and completed 27-of-41 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns in a 20-13 win. He was also 3-of-4 for 54 yards and two touchdowns the week prior in a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys.

“The 6-foot-6 McKee might impress if given more of an opportunity to start, although he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. The Steelers might consider bringing back Rodgers, trading for McKee and then signing the inexperienced 25-year-old to a short-term extension,” Barnwell writes. “For a team that is never in position to draft a quarterback in the top 10, taking a shot on someone like McKee is an alternative the Steelers need to consider. Pittsburgh also has an extra third-round pick as a result of the George Pickens trade, and though that shouldn’t cause teams to discount their own picks, it might make taking a swing on McKee easier to stomach.”

On paper, it makes some sense. McKee has the size and traits that should be intriguing to a quarterback developer like Mike McCarthy. 

There’s just one problem: McCarthy has raved about second-year pro Will Howard since getting the job. It doesn’t appear all that likely that the Steelers will take a swing on an outside quarterback with a very limited sample size and block Howard at this point. 

If the Steelers trade draft picks to land a quarterback, they’re either going to swing big for a proven quarterback like a Kyler Murray or a Mac Jones, or they’re going to use picks to try and move up in the 2026 NFL Draft to land the signal caller they desire.

McKee is a fun name, but it just doesn’t seem all that likely that Pittsburgh would have much interest, especially if Rodgers returns for another season to be that bridge quarterback like many expect.

At least this Barnwell trade proposal makes a heck lot a lot more sense than the one he floated last week.