The Pittsburgh Steelers know their quarterback situation is temporary with Aaron Rodgers entering his final NFL season. What comes next could eventually lead them toward one of the league’s most expensive veteran options.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell included Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield among the players with the most at stake in 2026.
Barnwell then floated Pittsburgh as a potential landing spot if the Steelers aren’t positioned to select one of the top quarterbacks in the 2027 NFL Draft.
“There will be organizations angling for Arch Manning, Dante Moore and other options at the top of next year’s draft, but if a team such as the Steelers isn’t drafting high enough to land one of the top prospects, will it be willing to pay north of $50 million per season to lock in Mayfield?” Barnwell wrote.
Steelers Could Face $50 Million Baker Mayfield Decision
Mayfield’s price is central to the scenario.
Barnwell noted the former No. 1 overall pick has outperformed the expectations that followed him to Tampa Bay in 2023. Mayfield hasn’t missed a start in three seasons with the Buccaneers and helped them win a playoff game.
His best season came in 2024, when he threw for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns while completing 71.4% of his passes.
Mayfield slipped statistically last season, finishing with 3,693 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Even so, Barnwell wrote that Mayfield ranked 14th in QBR across his three-year Tampa Bay run, between Jared Goff and Trevor Lawrence.
“You can understand why Mayfield wants to be in a ballpark with his fellow former first overall picks, and given cap inflation since those deals were signed, pushing for $60 million doesn’t seem like an unreasonable suggestion,” Barnwell wrote.
The Buccaneers haven’t reached a new agreement with him. In July, Mayfield entered training camp without an extension and planned to stop negotiations once camp began.
That potentially puts Mayfield on track for unrestricted free agency in 2027, although Tampa Bay could use the franchise tag. Barnwell projected the quarterback tag at roughly $50 million.
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Pittsburgh would only enter that conversation if its current options fail to produce a long-term answer.
Rodgers signed a one-year contract to return for 2026. He confirmed this will be his final NFL season.
Pittsburgh kept four quarterbacks on its initial 53-man roster: Rodgers, Mason Rudolph, Will Howard and rookie Drew Allar. Steelers general manager Omar Khan said the team was “excited about the future” with Howard and Allar after both showed promise during the preseason.
The Steelers also aren’t expected to ignore the 2027 draft simply because those two are on the roster.
Steelers.com’s Bob Labriola wrote Sept. 3 that if Pittsburgh has an opportunity to draft a quarterback it views as a potential long-term answer, the presence of Howard and Allar wouldn’t stop it from making that move.
Draft position could be the problem, especially if they have another winning season.
If Manning, Moore and the other top 2027 options come off the board before Pittsburgh picks, Barnwell sees Mayfield as one expensive alternative.
That would leave the Steelers with a fascinating choice: keep searching for a younger answer or potentially spend north of $50 million annually on a quarterback who will turn 32 before the 2027 season.
How Mayfield performs this year could determine whether Pittsburgh ever has to seriously consider it.
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