Assuming Aaron Rodgers doesn't have a ton of success and retires following his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, the franchise must do whatever is necessary to find its next franchise quarterback in 2026.
But that franchise quarterback might already be on the roster in sixth-round pick Will Howard, although he's anything but a sure thing as a late-round pick.
If Howard doesn't secure the confidence of the coaching staff, the Steelers will almost certainly be eyeing the 2026 NFL draft for a solution under center.
In a recent four-round mock draft from Ryan Heckman of Still Curtain, he has the Steelers trading a ton to move up to the No. 3 overall pick and draft Clemson signal-caller, Cade Klubnik.
- Steelers receive: No. 3 pick (QB Cade Klubnik)
- Titans receive: No. 19 pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2027 second-round pick
"Klubnik comes in as arguably the top quarterback prospect in the 2026 draft along with the likes of Arch Manning," Heckman explained. "He's about as polished as you could want in a rookie quarterback, and Pittsburgh very well just got themselves their starter for the next decade."
Klubnik isone of the top quarterback prospects ahead of the 2026 NFL draft after he finished with 3,639 passing yards, 36 scores and just six interceptions last season.
However, he's still got to cement himself as a top option for 2026 with another strong season.
As we've seen time and time again, college quarterbacks can often destroy their high stock with a lackluster showing, much like Quinn Ewers did recently.
The problem with this trade scenario is that it's extremely difficult to trade up that far (16 spots), and that's especially true because there are likely to be quarterback-needy teams in between those spots who can offer a better first-round pick.
While that's all true, it shouldn't stop the Steelers from trying their hardest to fix a problem that has plagued the franchise for far too long now.