Steelers Quarterbacks: Is Development the Real Problem?
Until the NFL Draft begins, mock drafts will be everywhere. In two of the latest I’ve seen, one has the Steelers selecting Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart at pick 21, while another has them taking Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders—choices that haven’t gone over well with many Steelers fans. Then again, Steelers fans haven’t been happy about much lately.
The frustration stems from different reasons. Some don’t see either as a first-round talent, while others simply don’t trust the team’s decision-making and ability. A common belief among fans is that the Steelers can’t develop quarterbacks, especially under Mike Tomlin. On the surface, that argument holds some weight. But if you take a closer look, it’s not just a Steelers issue—it’s a league-wide problem.
In today’s NFL, the odds of a non-first-round quarterback becoming a reliable starter are incredibly low. Even among first-rounders, long-term success isn’t guaranteed. Since Mike Tomlin became head coach, the Steelers have only had one franchise quarterback: Ben Roethlisberger. But here’s the catch—Big Ben was already on the roster before Tomlin arrived, which adds to the argument that Tomlin hasn’t and can’t developed a quarterback.
Looking at the 2015 NFL Draft onward (excluding the past two drafts, since those stories are still unfolding), 59 quarterbacks have been selected outside the first round. Only three—Brock Purdy, Jalen Hurts, and Dak Prescott—have developed into legitimate, long-term starters. That stat alone shows how difficult it is to find a franchise quarterback outside of Round 1. Along with finding a starter in Round 1, most cases that guy is found in the top half of round 1, somewhere the Steelers NEVER find themselves.
So, do the Steelers have a quarterback development problem? Not necessarily. The real issue is that they haven’t taken enough early swings at finding their next franchise guy. A big reason for that? Ben Roethlisberger himself. As long as he was under center, the team couldn’t realistically plan for the future without creating tension. Whenever the Steelers even considered drafting his successor, Ben made it clear he wasn’t on board.
That put the team in a bind—draft a potential franchise QB and risk upsetting their longtime leader, or hold off and keep the peace? The result: while Roethlisberger was still playing, the Steelers only drafted clear backup-level quarterbacks. The only real attempt to find his successor came in 2022 when they selected Kenny Pickett. But that draft class was weak at quarterback, and now, Pickett looks more like a career backup than a future star.
With Big Ben gone, the Steelers are finally confronting the reality they avoided for years—they need a new franchise quarterback. It’s a challenge they should have tackled sooner, but that’s in the past. Now, they have to move forward.
Once again, names like Jaxson Dart and Shedeur Sanders have been linked to Pittsburgh in this year’s draft. Whether either will be available when the Steelers pick remains to be seen. But the real question isn’t just whether they’re the right choice—it’s whether the Steelers should hesitate to draft a quarterback early due to concerns about development.
In my opinion, there shouldn’t—and won’t—be an ounce of hesitation to draft a quarterback they believe in. If the right guy is there, they must take the shot. This may not be the year to do it; that opportunity may not come until the 2026 NFL Draft. But when the time comes, the Steelers can’t afford to pass on their next potential franchise quarterback.
a true Pittsburgh Steelers fan, since the 70’s let me start by saying the preseason is too short and the Steelers be developing any quarterback they get in the N.F.L. that includes the undrafted quarterbacks also the quarterback are very raw when they come out of college
But other teams play the same preseason. Every once in a while, a team gets lucky with a rookie, like the Commanders did in 2024 with Daniels or the Steelers did with Ben. Otherwise, the choice is to suffer with a young QB while he grows into the position (look at Terry Bradshaw’s stats or Troy Aikman’s from their first couple of seasons) or draft your next guy a couple of seasons ahead of when you need him to play (like the Packers did as they moved from Favre to Rodgers to Love). The Steelers haven’t really been willing to do either of those things; I’m hoping that will change with the 2026 draft if not before.
I actually think that, given the 8 year sampling (2015 – 2022), having 3 of 32 QB spots coming from outside of the first round is actually pretty good. For that matter, Lamar Jackson might as well of been a second round pick being that he was the last pick of the first round.
All the same, there is no rule that says you can’t pick QBs high in successive years. If the Steelers think that Sanders or Dart can be the guy then they should pick them. If another potential great QB is available next year then they should pick him too. See who is best and trade the other one. Is that radical? Perhaps. But you can’t win without a QB, of course, and I think radical can be justified until the Steelers find one.
I think this makes sense. The risk of losing out on a potential franchise QB out ways any reward of drafting BPA or other positions of need when you are looking for the next Ben. You could say that the other way equally as well, the reward of getting your franchise QB outways the risk that you will not.
I say it the first way because the risk is you don’t get that guy and someone else does and then your fan base is wondering why you didn’t pull the trigger. I think that had a little to do with them drafting Pickett, although I also think they thought maybe they’d have time to work Pickett in as he was not expected to start as soon s he did.
I don’t want to be like the Browns just blindly taking flyers on quarterbacks every other year. Im sure some people who complained about Kenny Pickett being drafted are the same ones wanting them to take a first round pick on Dart or Milroe. There aren’t QBs to be the guy every year. Next year is more like the 2024 draft in terms of quarterback depth. Even if you get a guy like Tua or Baker, that isn’t good enough to win with the current state of the team. Build up the trenches, create some sort of identity on offense, and draft a guy next year where the class looks better. Shoot, even Josh Allen, Jamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow haven’t won a Super Bowl yet. Its very difficult to find a qb. It’s very very very very difficult to win a Super Bowl. This fanbase has been so spoiled and we don’t even see it. We’re wishing we were Ravens and bengals fans it seems like. We just had Ben for 18 years and saw 2 Super Bowls if you’re old enough. And after that we get to watch meaningful games in December and January. That isn’t the norm. This team is 1-2 offseasons and a qb away from being right back in the thick of it. Khan is 2 for 2 in his drafts so far (so far, because things can change). The hard part is the qb. Even if they get their guy in 2026 who knows who pans out and who doesn’t. Either way, I’m gonna enjoy this season. Go Steelers
I really don’t like the thought of taking flyers on QBs but are there really any other options? Sure, building up the lines and stuff makes sense but, ultimately, the team has to roll the dice on a QB at some point and it’s just as likely as not that that QB will fail. The Steelers would then have great lines and stuff but a substandard QB to work with. That’s why I am ok with always having QBs on the radar. It’s hard to roll a yahtzee. The more attempts the better in my eyes.
I think it’s just a matter of degree. I think you absolutely roll the dice. But you don’t do it by trading up or using first rounders every year, that’s where the debate comes in. I would not be averse to the Steelers taking any or even a couple of QBs from this year’s class — in the third round [or fourth] or below. Those top two picks (I know, we lost our second in a trade) need to be used on positions more likely to pan out to build the lines and address immediate needs and future depth.
Later in the draft, yeah, take flyers, maybe even a couple of them, but don’t leave important holes in the rest of the team *in a perennially weak QB draft* to roll the dice. Like any gambler, you gotta know the odds.
Along with finding a starter in Round 1, most cases that guy is found in the top half of round 1, somewhere the Steelers NEVER find themselves.
Once Ben Roethlisberger is inducted, the Steelers will have drafted five quarterbacks in their history in the top half of round 1, with four of them making the Hall of Fame:
1948: Bobby Layne #3 (traded to Chi, then Det, back to the Steelers years later).
1955: Ted Marchibroda # 5 (had some success as a player and a coach, but no HOF).
1957: Len Dawson #5 (traded to Cle, later signed by KC).
1970: Terry Bradshaw #1.
2004: Ben Roethlisberger #11.
Whether by record, trade or some of each, I’d target the top half of the 2026 draft. No guarantees, but why not play the percentages?
This is absolutely true, and I still can’t forgive him for it:
Towards the end, especially. The last few years the shell of Ben played, it was obvious we needed to draft his successor, and a mature professional would have accepted that. But Ben reportedly blocked that kind of planning, which hurt the team when he retired.
I vividly remember reading articles about someone on the Steelers team lobbying for Jalen Hurts (Pouncey?) in 2020 and other articles about Ben’s animosity to the idea. The Steelers took Claypool in the 2nd, five spots ahead of where the Eagles drafted Hurts in a *skrong* QB draft (Burrow, Herbert, Tua, JLove in the first).
Just let that marinate a moment. Jalen Hurts learning behind Ben for one to two years.
As you know, the Steelers had the opportunity to pick Jalen Hurts in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft but bypassed him to select another receiver (Claypool) mainly for the benefit of the aging Roethlisberger. Not a particularly wise decision when they already knew they needed a young prospect guy who could replace No. 7. So the Steelers missed on one of the three QBs you mentioned — a guy who now owns a SB ring.
Because it’s so difficult to determine which college QBs are going to become great ones, it’s important to acquire young players with impressive potential who perhaps haven’t yet been given the opportunity to show what they can do. The Tampa Bay Bucs currently have a third-string QB named Michael Pratt who was selected near the end of the 2024 NFL Draft. If you watch his highlight reels as Tulane’s QB, you’ll see a guy who absolutely looks pro-ready. In fact, Pratt’s college career stats were far better than some of the QBs expected to be picked in this year’s first round.
Two weeks ago, the Bucs re-signed Kyle Trask as their second string QB, so this means Pratt probably is looking at his second consecutive year of cooling his heels on the sidelines. Even if the Steelers should make a deal to bring Aaron Rodgers in for a season, I’d love to see the Steelers make a deal with Tampa Bay to acquire Pratt (who is under contract for 2025), or perhaps sign him if he’s released by the Bucs. I have a feeling this kid will eventually catch on somewhere around the league and make a name for himself.