The Pittsburgh Steelers were linked to Baker Mayfield in NFL rumors this summer because of a potential 2027 connection.
The link came about because Aaron Rodgers is set to retire following the upcoming season, while Mayfield was set to play 2026 on the final year of his deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
All hopes of such a scenario taking place were dashed Tuesday as major news dropped about Mayfield.
Baker Mayfield Signs Major New Deal
News broke Tuesday evening that Mayfield had a signed a three-year extension with the Bucs worth a whopping $165 million. That will keep him with the team and allow the organization to continue chasing a Super Bowl title with Mayfield leading the way.
The two sides appeared to be headed for a 2026 season where Mayfield would be playing for his new contract. All the rumors about potential 2027 landing spots may have swayed the team to get a deal done and avoid any distractions.
Steelers 2027 QB Outlook
Rodgers announced his plans to retire following the 2026 season. Anyone hoping he may change his mind may be out of luck after the quarterback announced his desire to start a family with his wife once his retirement begins.
That means the team will once again need to find a new starting quarterback next year. But unlike in the recent past, the Steelers may already have some options in the building.
The veteran option would be Mason Rudolph, who is playing on the final year of his deal. He is 8-5-1 as a starter in his Steelers career and could return to fill in as a short-term option if necessary.
Yet fans have seen Rudolph for years and may be more excited about the younger players on the depth chart. Those are Will Howard and Drew Allar.
Howard was a sixth-round pick in 2025, missing the preseason due to injury. He struggled at points this preseason, but will now get another full year to learn behind a living legend in Rodgers.
Allar just showed up as a third-round pick and turned some heads in the preseason. He too gets a year to learn behind Rodgers and may get extra coaching from Mike McCarthy as the head coach looks to develop the young signal-caller as a potential successor in 2027.
Building from within means the Steelers wouldn’t have to play the free agency game and bring someone in who has no experience in the offensive system. Instead, Allar, Howard, and potentially Rudolph could stay within this system for a full year and battle it out next training camp.
Mayfield signing his extension allows the Steelers to move on from him as a possibility and begin to focus elsewhere. If anything, this may make the team go all-in on focusing on those quarterbacks already in the building to take over in 2027.
Baker Mayfield No Longer Option for Steelers in 2027