The Steelers have until mid-July to decide whether to bid on Brendan Sorsby, which shouldn’t take Drew Allar into consideration. Many opposing the idea of Pittsburgh trading to draft Sorsby lean on the team’s recent investments at quarterback. When you’re looking for a franchise quarterback, however, the sunk cost fallacy is your biggest enemy.
By no means does that mean the Steelers should draft Brendan Sorsby. It just means the Steelers shouldn’t not draft Sorsby because they drafted Drew Allar. This is an important decision to consider entirely in a vacuum. If they thought Sorsby could be their franchise quarterback, the rest of the room is irrelevant.
Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, Brendan Sorsby would be the Steelers draft, following Kenny Pickett and Chris Oladokun in 2022, Will Howard in 2025, and Drew Allar in 2026. They leaned on veterans in 2024 and 2025, continuing to do so in 2026 with Aaron Rodgers.
But they believe they have a couple young quarterbacks with potential in Allar and Howard. HC Mike McCarthy is taking a long, hard look at them this offseason, which is exactly what he should do. If he thinks Sorsby has starting potential, though, then I don’t think the Steelers can afford to worry about what they already invested in Allar or Howard.
Quarterback purgatory is a hell from which there is only one escape, which is finding a franchise quarterback. While quarterbacks require development, they also require a base level of talent. The Steelers see the talent in Drew Allar, but he requires a lot of coaching. Howard seems very coachable, but has a lower ceiling. Sorsby might fall somewhere in between, unless the Steelers see more talent in him.
How, I don’t think Brendan Sorsby is all that talented, and I don’t think the Steelers should try to land him in the Supplemental Draft next month. But that’s not because the Steelers already have Drew Allar. I don’t think Drew Allar is the answer for the future, either—that answer isn’t on the roster yet. It’s also not in the Supplemental Draft, though. And that’s why the Steelers should stay away from Sorsby, not because it would jeopardize or terminate Allar’s development.
When it comes to this particular prospect, of course, it’s not just about talent. It’s also about judgement and character, which is why he’s going through the Supplemental Draft. The Steelers may have some insight into Brendan Sorsby thanks to coaching staff connections, which is more than nothing. But what do they see on tape when they study him?
Sorsby is supposed to hold a workout for teams before the draft, so it will be very interesting to see what level of interest the Steelers show. Unsurprisingly, most of the league is interested, at least on some level. Pittsburgh has done its homework, and it will be interesting to see what turns up from that. but one mistake the Steelers can’t afford to make is passing on Sorsby just because they already have Drew Allar.
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