Steelers Now
Pro Football Network has the Pittsburgh Steelers landing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson at 26th overall in their latest 2026 mock draft.
Simpson officially declared for the NFL Draft on Wednesday, and his decision could immediately adds another layer to what could be a pivotal offseason for the Steelers. There’s still a slew of question marks regarding the Steelers’ plan at quarterback, however.
“Will Aaron Rodgers retire this offseason? That’s a question the NFL has seemingly been asking for the last four or five years. I’ll believe it when I see it, but even if he returns in 2026 for his 22nd year in the league, the Pittsburgh Steelers will eventually need to look for his successor in the NFL Draft,” PFN wrote.
“Ty Simpson is only a one-year starter in college, but he’s pretty advanced given his limited playing time. A backup to Jalen Milroe last year, Simpson isn’t quite as athletic or has as strong an arm as his predecessor, but he’s a much more polished passer. He identifies soft spots in zone coverage well and exploits them accordingly. He does a good job of finding the open man, and he’s an accurate thrower of the football.”
Simpson is coming off a strong redshirt junior campaign, his first full season as the starter for the Crimson Tide. He helped guide Alabama to a Rose Bowl appearance while throwing for over 3,500 yards and 28 touchdowns, showing steady growth as the year went on and flashing traits that NFL teams look for in developmental quarterbacks. With Pittsburgh expected by many around the league to at least explore the quarterback position in this draft, Simpson is a name that could make sense given where the Steelers currently stand.
Pittsburgh did draft Will Howard, the 2024 College Football Playoff champion, last year, but the former sixth-round pick remains third on the depth chart and has yet to see the field in a meaningful way. While there are still believers that Howard deserves a real opportunity and could become a late-round sleeper, the reality is that teams rarely pass on drafting quarterbacks simply because of a Day 3 pick already on the roster.
Simpson’s path to the draft is also familiar territory for the Steelers. He took over for Jalen Milroe at Alabama, a quarterback Pittsburgh was heavily linked to during last year’s draft process before ultimately passing multiple times. Now, once again, an Alabama quarterback with upside is entering the conversation at a time when the Steelers’ long-term plan under center remains unclear.
The draft order is still not finalized with the playoffs ongoing, but Pittsburgh is currently projected to select somewhere in the early 20s. As always, that projection could change, and the pre-draft process will play a major role in shaping where Simpson ultimately lands. The Senior Bowl, NFL Combine, and Pro Days will all be critical checkpoints for him and the rest of the quarterback class.
Joe Fitzgerald contributed.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: [Steelers Land Alabama...
