Steelers predicted to replace Aaron Rodgers with former 4,000-yard quarterback

The Pittsburgh Steelers are set at quarterback in 2025, but the same cannot be said for 2026.

The Aaron Rodgers experiment is going well for the most part for the Steelers, but there is no guarantee the 41-year-old will be back in 2026, as Rodgers has already hinted he could retire next year.

Pittsburgh didn't draft a quarterback until the sixth round in 2025, when the team took Will Howard in that spot. But Howard remains a wild card and there's no telling if he can be the long-term solution at the position. Based on his draft positioning, there's a good chance he won't be.

The Steelers' shaky situation at quarterback isn't lost on The Sporting News' Vinnie Iyer, who predicts the team will take LSU signal-caller Garrett Nussmeier with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft.

"The Steelers still should expect Aaron Rodgers to be a one-year solution despite his first-year success in Pittsburgh," Iyer write. "This strong-armed pocket passer with good moxie and toughness should remain on their radar this late."

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound quarterback exploded onto the scene in 2024, when he finished north of 4,000 passing yards and threw 29 touchdowns to 12 picks.

Things haven't gone as smoothly this season, though, as Nussmeier is on pace to post less passing yards and touchdowns than he did in 2024 after tallying 1,806 passing yards and 12 scores to five interceptions in eight games in 2025.

But that doesn't change the fact that Nussmeier checks all the boxes teams are looking for in a quarterback in this day and age.

The LSU star has the requisite arm talent and strength, athleticism and football IQ to be one of the top prospects at quarterback in 2026.

With the Steelers slated to pick in the middle of Round 1, at worst, Nussmeier could very well be on the board when Pittsburgh is on the clock.

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