The Steelers may have Aaron Rodgers for the next two seasons, but the real question is what comes after that. Rodgers is set to return for his 22nd NFL season in 2026, and he has said there’s "zero debate" he’ll be back for 2027. If he follows through, Pittsburgh will be staring at a quarterback vacancy with no obvious heir in place.
That’s why Baker Mayfield belongs on the Steelers’ radar.
Mayfield is also in line for what could be a pivotal season. Multiple reports on Tuesday said he will play out the final year of his deal in 2026, and the Buccaneers are paying him $10M this upcoming season. Spotrac pegs his market value at a four-year deal worth $53.6M annually.
Tampa Bay would likely want him back if he bounces from an 8-9 2025 season that ended without a playoff berth. For a while last year, Mayfield looked like an MVP candidate before knee, shoulder and biceps injuries slowed him late. Even with that damage, he still finished 10th in the league in passing yards with 3,693 and tied for seventh in passing touchdowns with 26.
If the Buccaneers miss the playoffs again, the door could open for a reset without Mayfield. They could use the franchise tag, but they also might decide a 2027 draft pick or a cheaper alternative makes more sense.
That’s where Pittsburgh could enter the picture. The Steelers have Mason Rudolph entering the final year of his contract in 2026, while second-year QB Will Howard and rookie QB Drew Allar are splitting third-team reps to open training camp. That setup doesn’t exactly scream confidence for the long haul.
Pittsburgh can also look toward the 2027 draft, where the top names include Arch Manning of the Texas Longhorns, Dante Moore of the Oregon Ducks and CJ Carr of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The issue is simple: the Steelers may not be in position to land one of them.
They went 10-7 and reached the playoffs in 2025, their final season under Mike Tomlin. Even with a first year under new head coach Mike McCarthy, a major collapse doesn’t seem likely. ESPN’s Football Power Index had Pittsburgh at 8.4-8.6 as of Tuesday night.
Trading up would be another path, but that comes with a steep price. The Carolina Panthers gave up two first-round picks and more to move from No. 9 to No. 1 in 2023 for Bryce Young, and they’ve made the playoffs just once in three seasons with Young, 25, as their starter.
Mayfield, 31, offers a different kind of answer. He has thrown 95 touchdown passes since 2023, which ranks second in the NFL, and he could realistically provide three to four solid seasons.
He’d also fit naturally in the AFC North, where he would get two shots a year at the Browns - the team that moved on from him for Deshaun Watson before the 2022 season. If Mayfield ends up in Pittsburgh and takes over after Rodgers, he could make Cleveland regret that move all over again.
In Other News...
Bucs Camp Depth Already Takes A Hit In Two Key Battles
Training camp depth has already taken a small but meaningful hit for Tampa Bay, with cornerback Chase Lucas and defensive tackle Haggai Ndubuisi both landing on the Active/Physically Unable To Perform List. The moves do not remove either player from the picture entirely, since both still count toward the 90-man roster and can be activated before the 53-man deadline after the preseason, but they do interrupt two roster battles the Bucs were hoping to sort out early.
Lucas had been part of a cornerback group that did not have much margin for error, while Ndubuisi was among the linemen trying to carve out a role in a crowded competition. The Buccaneers also waived safety JaQurious Conley with a non-football injury designation, another reminder that the back end of the roster is already being tested before the first preseason snaps have even started. [Read more 🡒]
CeeDee Lamb Just Added To The Emeka Egbuka Hype In Tampa
Emeka Egbuka is heading into a bigger spotlight in Tampa Bay, and the early buzz around him is not just about opportunity. With Mike Evans gone, the Buccaneers are preparing for Egbuka to take on a larger role in the offense after a rookie season that flashed real promise, with 938 receiving yards and six touchdowns before his production tailed off later in the year.
CeeDee Lamb added to the intrigue by giving Egbukas first-down celebration a strong endorsement, the kind of small but telling praise that tends to travel in receiver circles. For Tampa Bay, it is another reminder that Egbuka already has some league-wide respect, even as the next step is still about proving he can carry that momentum through a full season. [Read more 🡒]
Tristan Wirfs Just Got The Kind Of NFL Respect Bucs Fans Hate
Tristan Wirfs has become one of the leagues clearest success stories at left tackle, the kind of player Tampa Bay can point to as proof that a position switch does not have to mean a step back. He handled the move from right tackle to left tackle at a high level, earned All-Pro honors at both spots and backed it up with elite PFF grades in both pass protection and the run game last season.
So the surprise for Buccaneers fans is not that Wirfs made the NFL Top 100 list, but where he landed on it. At No. 52, he was recognized, just not in the way his production might suggest, and that only adds to the sense that he is still being treated like a player on the rise rather than the most accomplished name on Tampa Bays roster. For a young offensive line looking for a veteran anchor, Wirfs is already the standard, even if the rest of the league has not quite caught up. [Read more 🡒]