The Pittsburgh Steelers aren't looking beyond the 2026 season - let's start there. Mike Tomlin didn't sell his soul to Aaron Rodgers in hopes of rebuilding for the long term. Omar Khan didn't trade for Jalen Ramsey with the 2026 NFL Draft in mind. Still, though, it's impossible to avoid the obvious. Rodgers is 41 years old. The Steelers don't have a quarterback plan for when he inevitably retires. Those are facts.
Tomlin seems to believe the Steelers are Super Bowl contenders this season. Rodgers wouldn't have signed in Pittsburgh if he didn't think the same. While Rodgers is over 40 and hasn't committed to playing beyond this season, there's no guarantee he retires after this season. It's unclear if that would be good or bad news for the Steelers, a team that is long overdue for a quarterback reset.
Unfortunately for the Steelers, they can already cross Arch Manning off their list.
Arch Manning chase delayed until 2027
When he does enter the NFL Draft, Arch Manning is expected to be the top quarterback taken and perhaps the top overall selection. Manning is taking over as the starting quarterback at Texas this season and, if the coaches' poll is any indication, the Longhorns are expected to compete for the National Championship. When asked if Manning would enter the NFL Draft after just one year as a starting quarterback, his grandfather Archie spoke for him.
“Arch isn’t going to do that,” Manning said of whether Arch would declare for the draft after this season. “He’ll be at Texas.”
Well, there ya have it. Arch isn't going pro in 2026, if his grandfather is to be believed. While the 2026 class is strong at quarterback with or without Manning, teams banking on adding their own quarterback prodigy will have to wait another season.
How does the Arch Manning news impact the Steelers?
The Steelers were always a longshot to land a player of Manning's caliber. With Rodgers under center, Pittsburgh should be competitive enough to compete for a postseason spot, whether that be winning the AFC North or landing an AFC Wild Card spot. That means, at best, they'd be selecting in the early 20's of the first round. Manning, if he were to go pro after a successful season at Texas, would be a top-10 lock.
However, where it gets iffy for the Steelers is what happens if Rodgers decides to stay around another year. The good news is Rodgers hanging on beyond 2026 would not have to occur in Pittsburgh. The Steelers signed him to a one-year deal, and could let him go in favor of another option. If Rodgers struggles this season there's little chance he'll be back to help the Steelers in 2026. If he takes them to the postseason, Tomlin is faced with an impossible choice.
If Rodgers were to play for the Steelers in 2026, he'd be kicking the long-term quarterback can down the road even further. Eventually, Tomlin and Pittsburgh are going to have to draft a QB in the first round. They tried and failed with Kenny Pickett. The more games they win with Rodgers under center, the more likely it is they find another quarterback of Pickett's caliber, rather than Manning's.