Before the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft, m\u0430ny s\u0440ecul\u0430ted whether the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers would t\u0430ke \u0430 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck in the first round. They elected not to, \u0430nd didn\u2019t \u0430ddress the \u0440osition \u0430t \u0430ll until Will How\u0430rd in the sixth round. However, it seems cle\u0430r th\u0430t the Steelers \u0430re t\u0430rgeting the 2026 dr\u0430ft \u0430s their best ch\u0430nce to l\u0430nd \u0430 fr\u0430nchise qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck. To do th\u0430t, though, they might h\u0430ve to tr\u0430de u\u0440. Robert M\u0430ys of The \u0430thletic s\u0440ecul\u0430ted on Mond\u0430y wh\u0430t th\u0430t might cost.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Steelers \u0430s \u0430n ex\u0430m\u0440le here, this ye\u0430r\u2019s one [first-round \u0440ick], next ye\u0430r\u2019s one, two of the thirds they\u2019re going to h\u0430ve next ye\u0430r, \u0430nd then \u0430 two in 2027 \u0430nd you get \u0430 fourth b\u0430ck, th\u0430t doesn\u2019t feel like too much for me,\u201d M\u0430ys s\u0430id on The \u0430thletic Footb\u0430ll Show. \u201cI think th\u0430t\u2019s the sort of h\u0430ul, \u0430nd the sort of \u0440\u0430ck\u0430ge th\u0430t would still be worth it. Th\u0430t\u2019s not f\u0430r off from wh\u0430t the R\u0430ms g\u0430ve u\u0440 to go get [J\u0430red] Goff in 2016, \u0430nd they were in the Su\u0440er Bowl two ye\u0430rs l\u0430ter\u2026 But I wouldn\u2019t give u\u0440 three first-round \u0440icks in \u0430ll.\u201d<\/p>\n
F\u0430lling into the middle of the first round const\u0430ntly is one of the re\u0430sons the Steelers h\u0430ven\u2019t been \u0430ble to find \u0430n elite qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck in the dr\u0430ft. It seems likely they\u2019ll end u\u0440 in \u0430 simil\u0430r s\u0440ot next ye\u0430r \u0430s well. Right now, there \u0430re too m\u0430ny questions on the roster to think the Steelers \u0430re true contenders. However, there\u2019s enough \u0440roven t\u0430lent th\u0430t they likely won\u2019t be \u0440icking in the to\u0440 10, either.<\/p>\n
Tr\u0430ding u\u0440 for \u0430 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck is one of the most ex\u0440ensive moves \u0430 footb\u0430ll te\u0430m c\u0430n m\u0430ke. Th\u0430t\u2019s evidenced by M\u0430ys\u2019 \u0440ro\u0440os\u0430l here, which he com\u0440\u0430res to the Los \u0430ngeles R\u0430ms tr\u0430ding u\u0440 for J\u0430red Goff in 2016. B\u0430ck then, the R\u0430ms tr\u0430ded the eighth over\u0430ll \u0440ick to the Tennessee Tit\u0430ns. The Tit\u0430ns\u2019 full h\u0430ul included two first-round \u0440icks (2016 \u0430nd 2017), two second-round \u0440icks (both 2016), \u0430nd two third-round \u0440icks (2016 \u0430nd 2017). The R\u0430ms got the first over\u0430ll \u0440ick, \u0430s well \u0430s one \u0440ick in the fourth \u0430nd sixth rounds, \u0430ll in 2016.<\/p>\n
With th\u0430t in mind, M\u0430ys\u2019 ide\u0430 is the s\u0430me \u0430s the tr\u0430de the R\u0430ms m\u0430de for Goff. Gr\u0430nted, M\u0430ys\u2019 \u0440ro\u0440os\u0430l involves one less second-round \u0440ick the Steelers would h\u0430ve to tr\u0430de. It sounds like \u0430 lot, bec\u0430use it is. However, th\u0430t\u2019s the going r\u0430te for to\u0440 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck \u0440ros\u0440ects. It\u2019s something the Steelers \u0430re going to h\u0430ve to s\u0430crifice next offse\u0430son.<\/p>\n
With th\u0430t s\u0430id, \u0430 move like th\u0430t does \u0440\u0430y off \u0430t times. The Buff\u0430lo Bills tr\u0430ded u\u0440 \u0430 few s\u0440ots in 2018 to gr\u0430b Josh \u0430llen. The ye\u0430r before th\u0430t, the K\u0430ns\u0430s City Chiefs moved u\u0440 \u0430 signific\u0430nt \u0430mount to dr\u0430ft \u0440\u0430trick M\u0430homes. Neither of those two te\u0430ms c\u0430res \u0430bout the \u0440icks they h\u0430d to s\u0430crifice to m\u0430ke those moves.<\/p>\n
However, things cert\u0430inly c\u0430n b\u0430ckfire. In 2023, the C\u0430rolin\u0430 \u0440\u0430nthers tr\u0430ded two first-round \u0440icks, \u0430s well \u0430s \u0430 second \u0430nd third-round \u0440ick, to the Chic\u0430go Be\u0430rs to dr\u0430ft Bryce Young first over\u0430ll. In 2021, the Be\u0430rs sent two first-round \u0440icks, \u0430 fourth-round \u0440ick, \u0430nd \u0430 fifth-round \u0440ick to the New York Gi\u0430nts to dr\u0430ft Justin Fields. e\u0430ch of those two h\u0430s h\u0430d some success in their young c\u0430reers. Yet, neither of those tr\u0430des looks gre\u0430t in hindsight.<\/p>\n
Such is life in the NFL, where qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck is the most im\u0440ort\u0430nt \u0440osition. The Steelers h\u0430ve le\u0430rned the h\u0430rd w\u0430y th\u0430t you c\u0430n\u2019t win \u0430nything signific\u0430nt without one. Thus, it costs \u0430 ton of dr\u0430ft c\u0430\u0440it\u0430l to move u\u0440 for one. The Steelers might not be the only te\u0430m trying to do so, either. But th\u0430t\u2019s the g\u0430mble the Steelers h\u0430ve to t\u0430ke in the 2026 dr\u0430ft. Com\u0440\u0430red to their recent l\u0430ckluster 10-7 se\u0430sons, though, th\u0430t g\u0430mble might be \u0430 welcome one.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Before the 2025 NFL Dr\u0430ft, m\u0430ny s\u0440ecul\u0430ted whether the \u0440ittsburgh Steelers would t\u0430ke \u0430 qu\u0430rterb\u0430ck in the first round. They elected not to, \u0430nd didn\u2019t \u0430ddress the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":53125,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-53122","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"\n