As in recent years, the Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves in a peculiar situation: they need to win now, but also find answers for the future. HC Mike Tomlin is known for his ability to lead his team to win games and somehow make the playoffs against all odds, but the Steelers have been unable to truly secure a long-term quarterback after Ben Roethlisberger, despite their efforts.
In the 2026 NFL Draft, with the unknown duration of starter Aaron Rodgers’ playing career, the QB position must be on the minds of the front office and coaching staff. In the third round, the Steelers can make it happen.
How the Steelers Can Secure Their Future at QB
With the draft in consideration, the Steelers will probably not be in striking distance to get one of the top prospects out of the QB group. Again, Pittsburgh will be fighting for a playoff spot, and as of right now, they are projected to select at pick 20.
In analyst James Fragoza‘s new three-round mock draft, the Steelers go with a quarterback with their last pick in the third round: Miami’s Carson Beck.
Over the five seasons Beck has played in college, the young quarterback has seen what success looks like and what failure feels like. Throughout his college career, Beck has had 76 passing, 6 rushing, and 1 receiving touchdown. Starting his career at Georgia, Beck was on the roster from 2020 to 2024.
Although he was not the starter, Beck was a part of the 2021 and 2022 National Champion-winning teams. In 2023, he got his starting opportunity and looked great. The issue arose in the 2024 season, when Beck was drafted as a potential top pick but ultimately underperformed.
Beck then transferred to Miami and took over when Cam Ward left for the NFL Draft. Although the season has been up and down, Beck has shown some of the ability that made scouts love him entering the 2024 season. According to PFSN’s CFB QB Impact Metric, Beck is ranked 48th in impact score, but he is second in overall completion percentage (73.2%). He is nowhere near a complete prospect, but teams will still value him in the draft.
From the Steelers’ perspective, Beck would be a good fit for this team. If Rodgers does retire after this season, Beck could, and I loosely say could, come in and start right away. Still, it is the best-case scenario for him to sit and develop, which would be excellent if Rodgers does re-sign with the team.
