Steelers Now
Jacob Infante of Pro Football Network has the Pittsburgh Steelers trading up to select Texas quarterback Arch Manning at No. 2 overall in his way-too-early 2027 mock draft. The Steelers swapped first-round picks with the Miami Dolphins, jumping up from No. 14 to No. 2.
“Since the Kenny Pickett experiment failed, the Pittsburgh Steelers have rotated veteran reclamation projects at quarterback like Russell Wilson, Justin Fields, and Aaron Rodgers. None of them have been able to get them over the hump of winning a playoff game, which is something the Steelers haven’t done since 2016,” Infante wrote.
“The Steelers have been stuck in NFL purgatory for a decade now with no real direction for the future. Sooner or later, they’ll have to make a splash for a young quarterback. Being projected to miss the playoffs in 2026, Pittsburgh starts its rebuild by trading key defenders for draft capital, while trading a haul headlined by multiple first-round picks to the Dolphins to acquire their quarterback of the future.
“Projecting Arch Manning as the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft was incredibly unfair. It took him a while to get mentally acclimated as Texas’ new starting quarterback last year, but he found his groove down the stretch. He’s a well-built passer with a strong arm, impressive athletic ability, and a natural sense of timing down the field. As he continues to develop, his sky-high ceiling becomes more evident each game he plays.”
The Steelers have young QBs in Will Howard and Drew Allar on their roster, but both are projects. Manning is projected to be a bona fide star in the NFL.
Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy is a quarterback whisper. A duo of McCarthy and Manning can get the Steelers back on track and out of the funk they’ve been in since Ben Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season.
Manning was one of the most-talked about prospects in the 2026 NFL Draft class, but after a struggle of a 2025 season, he decided to return to Texas.
Manning finished his first regular season as a starter leading Texas to a 9-3 record, posting 2,942 passing yards to go with 24 touchdowns and seven interceptions, as well as 244 yards and eight touchdowns rushing. Arch struggled early but has shown great strides the last few weeks, most notably in SEC showdowns against Arkansas and Vanderbilt, led by Heisman Trophy runner-up Diego Pavia, throwing for 389 yards and four touchdowns in a 52-37 victory over the Razorbacks and 328 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-31 win against the 13th ranked Commodores. After a rough start to the season, this growth shows promise and he could be the favorite to go first overall in the 2027 NFL Draft.
That promise was a central theme in the conversation this week after Manning officially announced he will return to Texas for the 2026 season and pass on the upcoming NFL Draft. Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian outlined why that choice makes sense, not...
