It’s no secret the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a bit of holding pattern at the most important position. So as the Steelers enter the 2026 season in the final year of Aaron Rodgers’ career and with multiple recent draft picks on the roster, it remains unclear who will lead the franchise into the future.
Largely for the quarterback uncertainty alone, a national outlet’s lack of faith in the Steelers extends far beyond any prediction about what may happen this fall. That was made evident on Monday when ESPN released its NFL future power rankings, projecting the quality of each team all the way through 2029.
In a somewhat odd spot for Pittsburgh to be, the Steelers rank No. 30 out of 32 teams, only better than the Miami Dolphins and Arizona Cardinals. The New York Jets are just ahead of the Steelers at No. 29. Even the perpetually asinine Cleveland Browns are at No. 28.
“Kenny Pickett. Justin Fields. Russell Wilson. Rodgers. Will Howard. Drew Allar. Four of these players have proven that they were not the long-term answer at QB,” wrote Louis Riddick. “The other two (Howard and Allar) have not attempted a pass in a regular-season game. There seems to be no end in sight when it comes to an answer for Pittsburgh’s QB situation.”
So while head coach Mike McCarthy, noted quarterback guru, may believe in Drew Allar, his third round project pick from his first draft at the helm, especially after his recent play in his preseason debut, ESPN isn’t willing to buy any Steelers stock until Pittsburgh locks into someone as the guy moving forward.
And when combining the lack of answer at quarterback with the age of the top contributors on the defensive side of the ball, it’s fair to wonder if the once-proud Steelers are headed for rock bottom.
But of course, and to the annoyance of a segment of the fanbase, the Steelers haven’t endured a losing season since going 6-10 in 2003.
ESPN’s Benjamin Solak did include some hope for Steelers fans in the midst of all of the doom and gloom, too.
“The Steelers are treading water at quarterback with 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers swan-songing under new (but former) coach Mike McCarthy. The defense is also built around aging stars (Jalen Ramsey, Cameron Heyward, T.J. Watt),” he said. “The good news is that GM Omar Khan has drafted well, and there are exciting young players on both sides of the trenches. That should soften the inevitable transition awaiting the Steelers after consistent mediocrity in recent years.”
ESPN Predicts Doom, Gloom for Future of Once-Proud Steelers