Steelers predicted to ditch Will Howard for 44-TD quarterback as Aaron Rodgers replacement

The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation is still unsolved after the 2025 NFL Draft. Though the team added Ohio State's Will Howard in Round 6, the 23-year-old isn't ready to be a starter yet and could be a career backup.

It's clear that the Steelers have their sights set on Aaron Rodgers, but even if they sign the 41-year-old, the long-term future of the quarterback position is still a major question. The 33rd Team's Kyle Crabbs predicts Pittsburgh will answer that question during the 2026 NFL Draft by selecting LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier as their quarterback of the future.

"Pittsburgh appears to be angling for the Aaron Rodgers band-aid. The team bypassed quarterbacks early before securing Will Howard on Day 3. Howard is a good add at that stage of the game, but Nussmeier was trending towards a potential first-round ticket last season before falling apart down the stretch," Crabbs wrote.

Nussmeier didn't see the field as LSU's full-time starter until 2024, but he had a solid debut campaign, tossing 29 touchdowns to 12 interceptions with a 64.2% completion rate. The New Orleans native possesses exciting arm talent and throws with fantastic anticipation, but he did struggle with turnovers last year, which led to some ugly losses for the Tigers.

With another year of college experience in 2025, Nussmeier figures to be one of the top quarterbacks in the 2026 class. Pittsburgh will likely be in the market for a signal-caller once again next offseason, and it's time for the franchise to spend a premium draft choice on a promising player who could develop into a franchise quarterback.

Selecting Nussmeier in 2026 to replace Rodgers and kick off a new era of Steelers football would be a refreshing move by general manager Omar Khan and head coach Mike Tomlin.

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