The NFL’s offseason calendar is about to squeeze the Steelers into a much tighter window, and that could leave Pittsburgh with one veteran quarterback name standing above the rest.
With the league announcing that the legal tampering period before free agency will start just one day after the NFL Combine ends, the Steelers will have far less time to sort through their quarterback options in 2027. The move is designed to keep the offseason moving, but for Pittsburgh it means the team has to know its plan before that stretch even begins.
That matters because the list of possible veteran quarterbacks is murky at best. Mac Jones, Kyler Murray and maybe Tua Tagovailoa are mentioned as names that could be in the mix, but the one that fits cleanly for the Steelers is Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield stands apart because there’s no real mystery attached to him. He’s a two-time Pro Bowler, and he already comes with the kind of résumé that tells a team what it’s getting: a playoff-caliber starting quarterback. For a Steelers team that is always chasing that level of stability under center, that certainty carries real weight.
The bigger issue is the position Pittsburgh finds itself in. The Steelers are caught between two paths - finding a franchise quarterback or continuing to push for a Super Bowl.
Mayfield doesn’t solve the long-term search, but he does offer something immediate. He just turned 31 in April, so he’s not a decade-long answer, but he could still give a team about five years of quality play.
That’s the kind of tradeoff the Steelers may be willing to make if he’s available. He would make them competitive right away, and in a year where the draft class might not force Pittsburgh away from free agency, that could be enough.
Mike McCarthy was hired by the Steelers for two reasons: to win a Super Bowl and keep the team a contender at all times, and to develop a quarterback. If next year’s draft class is strong enough, the Steelers may go that route instead. If not, Mayfield could be the veteran they circle, giving them another real shot in the playoffs.
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