Pittsburgh Steelers could replace Aaron Rodgers with this NFL Draft QB

The Pittsburgh Steelers have given Aaron Rodgers a firm deadline for deciding whether he wants to play for them next season: the NFL Draft.

The NFL Draft this year will be in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers want to know what their outlook for the 2026 season looks like by the time they are selecting players for their future at home.

While the Steelers seem confident to roll with sophomore quarterback Will Howard if it comes down to it and they can’t reach an agreement with Rodgers, that might not be their only option.

On Monday, ESPN’s Matt Miller did a mock draft of all seven rounds, predicting where each team will go during the three-day extravaganza and which prospects will be selected.

In the first round, Miller has the Steelers taking protection for whoever is the next Pittsburgh starting signal-caller with Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor.

“Left tackle Broderick Jones hasn’t played like a former first-rounder, giving the Steelers room to draft a replacement,” penned Miller. “Proctor is a powerful mover at 6-foot-7 and 352 pounds. Though he had an up-and-down final season, he ended on a high note and impressed with his predraft testing at the combine and his pro day. Proctor had three sacks allowed and only two penalties last season. Pittsburgh is rumored to be out on the quarterbacks in Round 1, so it makes sense to bolster the offensive line for Aaron Rodgers’ potential return.”

Although Miller didn’t mean that the Steelers would be wary of all QBs in the NFL Draft, just ones that might go in the first round.

In round three, Miller believes that Pittsburgh will grab a player they believe could be their next franchise QB: LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.

“Aaron Rodgers hasn’t announced his 2026 plans, but the Steelers’ lack of urgency in free agency likely points to his return,” he wrote. “But Rodgers is 42 years old, and there’s no clear-cut successor on the roster. Nussmeier is ideal for Mike McCarthy’s West Coast offense, with good arm talent and accuracy on the move that would allow him to thrive in a short-to-intermediate passing scheme.”

If the Steelers go with Nussmeier, a competition between him and Howard, along with a veteran QB, possibly Rodgers, mentoring the two could be the best recipe for success for Pittsburgh moving forward.

We will find out in a few weeks when the show kicks off in Pittsburgh for three nights of shocks and surprises.

This article originally appeared on Touchdown Wire: Pittsburgh Steelers could replace Aaron Rodgers with this NFL Draft QB

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