Steelers Now
It seems it’s never too early to start wondering who’s next behind center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The popular idea has been that Mike McCarthy will find Aaron Rodgers’ successor in next year’s 2027 NFL Draft, in what promises to be a deep signal-caller class.
With recent news that Baker Mayfield has put a deadline on a new deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, plans could change, sports talk show host Zach Gelb believes.
“If I’m Baker, I’m kinda hungry for more, and I don’t think Tampa Bay is anywhere close to being a Super Bowl contending team again,” Gelb said last week on his show. “So you play nice, if you don’t get what you want, I then try to go elsewhere at the end of the season, and two destinations just stand out to me … and that’s the Minnesota Vikings and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
“(With the Steelers), you could shove it to Cleveland, who gave up (on) you. You go to a respectable organization and a reputable organization like the Pittsburgh Steelers — and I understand the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in a long time, since the 2016 season — but you get to be coached by Mike McCarthy, DK Metcalf’s there, they just traded for Michael Pittman and that’s a team that is going to need a quarterback.”
Mayfield threw for 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions last season. He threw for at least 4,000 yards during each of the two campaigns before that, including a career-best 4,500 in 2024.
He’s gone 2-5 against the Steelers in the regular season, but was the Browns’ passer for what is arguably their biggest win since being reborn in 1999 — a 48-37 Wild Card road playoff win in Pittsburgh in 2021.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Analyst Floats Compelling Successor to Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers
