The Steelers may have more quarterbacks than they can realistically keep busy, but that does not mean Pittsburgh is in a hurry to start handing one over.
That’s the backdrop as trade chatter around the position heats up again across the NFL. With the New York Giants having already acquired JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-round pick, Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano raised the possibility that the Steelers could be next if the right offer shows up.
“Three teams -- the Eagles, Browns and Steelers -- are carrying four quarterbacks and probably would welcome a deal at the right price,” Fowler wrote. “And more injuries at the position will cause more trade talk. We've already seen six established starters go down through the first three weeks.”
Graziano followed that up by pointing directly at Pittsburgh’s two young passers.
“I also wonder whether the Steelers will try to get something for Will Howard and Drew Allar, since it's hard to see them needing both moving forward,” Graziano added later in the article.
It’s the kind of speculation that naturally follows a league where quarterback injuries can reshape rosters fast, and that has already been the case early in the season.
But the Steelers have spent months making their stance clear. Since March, head coach Mike McCarthy has emphasized how much he values all four quarterbacks in the organization. Even with the reality that the team does not need four quarterbacks on the active roster and has no intention of playing either Allar or Howard in 2026, Pittsburgh is not treating that as a reason to move either one.
So while the trade market is buzzing and the rumors are back, the Steelers do not appear to be changing course. They have three backup options behind Aaron Rodgers, and if another team came calling with an offer they liked, it would make sense to listen. Still, unless someone overwhelms them with a deal, the expectation in Pittsburgh is simple: keep all four and move on.
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