The Pittsburgh Steelers have given themselves a little breathing room early this season, but the path ahead is anything but soft. At 3-2, they’re sitting third in the AFC North behind the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, and while there have been encouraging signs, the schedule waiting on the other side of this stretch is brutal.
They’ve taken two of their last three, and now come the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a team whose record doesn’t tell the full story and one that looks better than average. From there, Pittsburgh walks into a gauntlet: the Browns, Cincinnati Bengals, Philadelphia Eagles, Denver Broncos, Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, and Ravens in succession.
That kind of run would test anybody, and it’s especially tricky for a team that already had plenty of questions before the season kicked off. If the Steelers handle that stretch the way they hope to, they should stay in the mix and give themselves a real shot at the playoffs. If not, the picture changes quickly.
Assuming things break close to the prediction, Pittsburgh would be selecting somewhere in the 15-to-20 range in the 2027 NFL Draft. And that’s where the quarterback conversation comes back into focus.
One recent projection has the Steelers using pick No. 16 on Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss, a player who has turned heads enough to look like a serious answer at the position. McGuinness put it plainly: “The Steelers can’t continue relying on stopgaps at quarterback,” McGuinness wrote.
He also added, “Maybe Drew Allar or Will Howard is the future at the position, but it’s hard to pass on a talent like Chambliss. He has earned an 82.2 PFF passing grade so far this season and has done an impressive job of avoiding negative plays. He has produced a turnover-worthy play rate of just 2.5%, while his 14.3% pressure-to-sack rate is also impressive.”
Chambliss has made a strong case at Ole Miss, and there’s a real argument that he’s been the best quarterback in college football this season. He also drew plenty of attention last year while working with Lane Kiffin, then stayed with the Rebels this season after Kiffin left for LSU.
Through five games, the numbers have been loud enough to match the buzz: 1,435 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and a top-15 QBR of 83.0. He’s not just doing damage through the air, either. Chambliss has added 113 rushing yards on 32 carries and found the end zone five times on the ground.
In Other News...
Steelers Finally Showed Progress That Could Change The AFC North Race
After a sluggish stretch to open the season, the Steelers at least gave themselves something to build on in Week 5 with a cleaner offensive showing and a win over the Colts. The broader AFC North picture only made that performance loom larger, because Baltimore kept winning even without Lamar Jackson, Cincinnati continued to flash and falter against lesser opponents, and Cleveland took a damaging loss to the Jets.
Jaylen Warren helped set the tone for Pittsburgh, while the defense did its part by keeping Jonathan Taylor in check and making the Colts work for every inch. In a division where every result seems to move the pecking order, the Steelers suddenly look like a team with a real argument to stay in the race, even if the next step is proving this was more than one encouraging afternoon. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Tomlins NFL Future Just Became A Steelers Story Again
Mike Tomlins next move is suddenly back on the NFL radar, and it has a Steelers angle even though he is no longer on the sideline in Pittsburgh. After stepping down following the 2025 season, Tomlin spent the 2026 campaign as an NBC studio analyst, a brief detour for a coach whose name still carries serious weight around the league. For a franchise that defined a long stretch of his career, the question now is less about what he did in Pittsburgh and more about whether his coaching chapter is actually finished.
Reports around the league have started to connect Tomlins future to a possible return if the timing lines up, which is why this feels like more than idle offseason chatter. If he does decide to coach again, there is no shortage of teams that could come calling, and the list is already getting attention among the leagues usual quarterback-needy and stability-seeking franchises. For Steelers fans, the intrigue is obvious: even after stepping away, Tomlin remains one of the most consequential names in the coaching market, and his next decision could ripple well beyond Pittsburgh. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Are Catching Aaron Rodgers At A Dangerous Time
Aaron Rodgers has settled in quickly enough in Pittsburgh to give the Steelers another layer of stability, and his latest stretch has only strengthened that impression. After helping the team beat the Colts, he has drawn fresh attention for the way he has been stacking productive outings together, turning what looked like a transition period into something that has started to look far more natural.
Now comes a Tampa Bay matchup that will tell a little more about where the Steelers really stand. The Buccaneers have been tough on opposing quarterbacks this season, which makes this a tricky spot for Rodgers and the passing game as Pittsburgh keeps trying to build on its early momentum. [Read more 🡒]