Steelers Now
Potential Pittsburgh Steelers first-round quarterback target, Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer could miss a month after undergoing hand surgery on Wednesday.
Mateer suffered the injury during Oklahoma’s 24-17 win over Auburn on Saturday, the school announced. He was able to finish the game and is expected to return this season.
“After consulting with medical experts, it became clear that surgery is the best option for John and his short- and long-term future,” head coach Brent Venables said. “He’s extremely disappointed he will miss some game action but is eager to correct the issue and move forward. As he is with everything, we know he will be aggressive with his rehabilitation and work to return to the field as quickly as possible.”
A 6-foot-1, 224-pound native of Little Elm, Texas, Mateer is in his fourth collegiate season. A redshirt junior, he spent three seasons with Washington State, where he played behind 2025 NFL Draft No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward.
Mateer became a starter for the first time in 2024, when he led the Cougars to an 8-4 record, completed 64.6% of his passes and threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns compared to seven interceptions. He transferred to Oklahoma this fall, following his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle.
Mateer had been climbing draft boards with a strong season. He was No. 107 on the NFL Mock Draft Database consensus big board as of Aug. 16, but is currently No. 18 — right about where the Steelers have usually picked in the first round.
The Steelers have shown significant interest in Mateer, sending scouts to both his Week 2 game against the Michigan Wolverines and Week 3 road trip against the Temple Owls.
Mateer will miss big games against fellow top NFL Draft quarterback prospects Arch Manning and Texas on Oct. 11 and LaNorris Sellers and South Carolina on Oct. 18, but should return in time for a potential showdown with Garrett Nussmeier and LSU that could have SEC Championship Game implications on Nov. 29.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers 2026 NFL Draft QB Target Needs Surgery for Hand Injury
