Trade Rumors Reemerge for Young Steelers QBs

PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of only a handful of teams with four quarterbacks on their roster.

Entering Week 4 of the regular season, it's unlikely that all four players suit up for the Steelers. It's most likely that the team plays only two quarterbacks during the entire 2026 season, barring signficant injuries.

With an excess of quarterbacks and the trade market all of a sudden alive again in the NFL, many national pundits are starting to wonder if the Steelers would be willing to deal. Recently, the New York Giants acquired JJ McCarthy from the Minnesota Vikings for a fifth-round pick. With all of that hulabaloo, both Jeremy Fowler and Dan Graziano believe the Steelers could make a deal to move on from one of their QBs if a team offered the right compensation. In a recent story for ESPN, they gave some convincing thoughts on the situation.

"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."

"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.

Did These Guys Watch the Steelers All Offseason?

The NFL is a quarterback-dominated league, and we've already seen injuries impact several teams early into the season.

That being said, that doesn't mean anything to the Steelers. This organization spits in the face of logic or the growing trade market for quarterbacks. Since March, head coach Mike McCarthy has preached how much he values all four QBs in the organization. Despite not needing four quarterbacks on the active roster and no intention of playing either of Allar or Howard in 2026, the Steelers aren't moving either one.

What preseason and offseason were Fowler and Graziano watching?

Sep 27, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Drew Allar (16) warms ups before the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Deal Would Have to Be Amazing

Look, the Steelers have to at least consider if a team called about one of their quarterbacks. This team has three backup options behind Aaron Rodgers and with players dropping like flies just four weeks into the season, getting a trade asset back for whoever they value the least is a good idea.

But unless another team wows them with an offer, the Steelers are content to keep all four. Even as these wild rumors emerge once again, they don't have any impact on the plans in Pittsburgh.

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