A few days after catching plenty of flak for suggesting a Nick Herbig trade to address the quarterback position long-term for the Pittsburgh Steelers, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell doubled down on trading for the same quarterback for the Black and Gold on Monday morning.
This time though, the long-time ESPN analyst pivoted with his proposed trade package from the Steelers to land Philadelphia Eagles backup quarterback Tanner McKee.
In a piece for ESPN proposing 11 trades across the NFL landscape, Barnwell again targeted McKee for the Steelers, and this time suggested Pittsburgh sends 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 of the Steelers. “Yes, 2024 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 towards the Steelers re-signing Rodgers for another season, giving many teammates what they want, while also appeasing McCarthy, who has stated publicly multiple times he wants Rodgers 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 games in the NFL 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-for-4 for 54 yards and two touchdowns the week prior in a blowout win over the Dallas Cowboys, too.
Still, that’s a very limited sample size to go off of.
But with the Eagles’ history of developing quarterbacks, McKee is a name that is generating buzz.
“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 adds. “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 impressed in limited NFL action, and he 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, and it doesn’t appear all that likely that the Steelers would take a swing on an outside quarterback with a very limited sample size to try and develop him, blocking Howard at this point.
If Pittsburgh is going to 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 in the trade market, 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 trade proposal from Barnwell for McKee in Pittsburgh makes a heck lot a lot more sense than the one he floated last week.
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