Steelers Now
Once the Pittsburgh Steelers passed on a quarterback in the 2025 NFL Draft and began gathering ammunition for the following year, their goal was made crystal clear: they were prepping to make a big splash at the quarterback position.
In the meantime, Aaron Rodgers helped lead the team to the postseason, playing his best ball down the stretch. Perhaps, depending on how they fare in the postseason, the pairing could elect to run it back once more. At best, that’s a short-term band-aid, and unfortunately for them, most of the 2026 quarterback class saw its stock fall down the stretch.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, the only signal caller that I felt warranted a first-round grade over the summer, has continued his magical run to the College Football Playoff title game. Excluding throwaways, the junior has as many touchdown passes (nine) as incompletions during this three-game stretch versus talented defenses in Ohio State, Alabama, and Oregon. Evaluators are going to love that his best moments seem to come in critical situations such as third & long, two-minute drills, and in the red zone. Mendoza would be a top-10 pick no matter the year, but in a class like this that lacks a lot of true blue-chip talents, he’s likely going to be the first player off the board.
My favorite thing about Indiana transfer QB Fernando Mendoza is his ability to shred the blitz with quick post-snap decision making. The numbers back it up as well…
-9 touchdowns, 0 interceptions
-8.7 yards per attempt
-2.56 time to throw3rd & 19 conversion at PITT… pic.twitter.com/xraIW4zj25
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) April 30, 2025
For much of the season, it looked as if Oregon signal caller Dante Moore was going to make a push for the throne, but bigger questions arose after back-to-back underwhelming playoff performances. His level of experience playing the position has been a big talking point since his ascension, with just under 700 career dropbacks spanning three seasons. He’s an accurate, pro-style quarterback that has made real strides this year from a processing standpoint. But right now, things can go off the rails a bit when the pocket gets muddy, which is the biggest differentiator between him and Mendoza. Would another year in Eugene make him a better player? Yes, but there’s a significant financial risk attached to that decision knowing he’s a lottery pick lock. For now, I’m holding my stock as we await clarity.
Dante Moore put on a clinic vs. Minnesota, particularly on touch throws to the intermediate area of the field.
But this was my favorite rep on 3rd and long. The ANTICIPATION to throw his guy open at the sticks, while getting rocked, is NFL stuff.
So, so good. pic.twitter.com/yUDCiMvQbn
— Derrick (@Steelers_DB) November 20, 2025
The conversation surrounding Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, who has already expressed his intentions on declaring for the NFL Draft despite offers from other schools,...
