Depending on who you ask, the Pittsburgh Steelers will either draft a quarterback sometime in the third or fourth round in the 2026 NFL Draft. Or they will pass on the position entirely, especially with 42-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers likely returning for a second season, and internal belief sky-high on second-year pro Will Howard.
If the Steelers do draft a quarterback though, ESPN’s Ben Solak, who appeared on Get Up Friday morning, believes LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier is an ideal name to target on Day 2.
There’s the connection between first-year head coach Mike McCarthy and Nussmeier’s dad, Doug, a former quarterbacks coach under McCarthy that ties the two together. But more than that, Solak believes the LSU quarterback is a good fit in a West Coast scheme and could really take off with a year of development in an NFL scheme.
“I have [Nussmeier] going to the Steelers at the end of the third round. The Steelers, I think, are very live to take a quarterback in one of the first three rounds, even if Rodgers returns,” Solak said, according to ESPN. “We’re talking about a 4[2]-year-old quarterback, a guy who’s not the future. Nussmeier’s got a live arm. He’s a very creative thrower and he is got good pocket management. Now, he’s too aggressive. He really likes to push the ball down the field.
“We have to dial that back in the NFL, but there’s a starter in here for sure with the year of development.”
With 12 draft picks, the Steelers appear to be in a great position to take a swing on a quarterback in the draft, even if Rodgers returns and the belief in Howard is real. That raises questions about the ability to develop a rookie quarterback in 2026 under Rodgers and Howard, not to mention the presence of Mason Rudolph as another veteran, but that can’t be a deterrent to the Steelers.
Pittsburgh has long needed to figure out the quarterback position, and taking a swing on a guy like Nussmeier with one of the three third-round picks the Steelers have makes a great deal of sense.
He might not be the biggest or strongest quarterback, and he’s coming off a tough 2025 season at LSU, but there’s a starting-caliber quarterback in there. It’s up to whichever team drafts him to get the best out of him. McCarthy is considered a quarterback whisperer, so that would be put to the test with Nussmeier.
Who knows, maybe they could find a franchise quarterback with a third-round pick.
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