Steelers Now
The Pittsburgh Steelers could be set up for a big draft day move in 2026. With the draft in Pittsburgh, fans, media, and the Steelers will certainly be eyeing the quarterback position. Among these potential first-round quarterbacks, Texas’ Arch Manning is a big name going into the 2025 season.
Manning is eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, but it’s not a certain that he will declare for the draft after the 2025 season, as some reports suggest he may return to Texas for his senior year.
If he does declare, Skip Bayless thinks the Steelers will be the front-runners for Manning. He expects the Steelers to have a top-5 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
“I hurt for Steelers fans because you want to talk about a cornerstone, highly respected franchise until now. (eight) years since you won a playoff game and now, it sure appears that you could be the front-runner in what I assume or presume is going to be the Arch Manning derby next year. You just could have the worst record in the league, especially stuck in that division with that new quarterback,” Bayless said on the Skip Bayless Show.
Bayless is never shy to share his opinion, and he did just that in a recent rant on the Steelers’ signing of Aaron Rodgers. Quite simply, he thinks the 41-year-old quarterback is washed.
“He was washed his last three years in Green Bay,” Bayless said in a video posted on X. “Go look at the numbers of his last three playoff games in Green Bay … I told the Jets he was washed… What has become of the Pittsburgh Steelers? I don’t hate them anymore, I pity them.”
Despite narratives that Rodgers is washed, it’s hard to dispute that he’s not the best quarterback the Steelers have had since Ben Roethlisberger retired after the 2021 season.
Since 2022, Rodgers has 54 passing touchdowns. In that same time frame, the Steelers have had only 46 touchdown passes. Rodgers also had only one pass attempt in 2023 before suffering a season-ending Achilles injury.
The four-time league MVP and future Hall of Fame quarterback showed he can still play good football last year with the New York Jets, throwing for 3,897 yards, 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.
Of course, Rodgers is not the same player that he used to be, but he’s the best option for the Steelers in 2025.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Now: Steelers Tabbed as Front-Runners for Arch Manning in 2026 NFL Draft
