While the Pittsburgh Steelers wait to see if Aaron Rodgers returns for the 2026 NFL season, speculation has grown about whether the team could draft a quarterback. One possibility is Alabama signal-caller Ty Simpson in the first round.
On Thursday, though, ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. offered a pretty finite answer over whether the Steelers are actually interested in Simpson.
“I’ve heard no. We’ll see. It’s been pretty quiet on that front,” Kiper said on ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike on Thursday morning. “They have an offensive guard problematic area that they’d like to fill, and they have some other issues on both sides of the ball, really.
“I’d like to see them get a slot receiver like Zachariah Branch in round 2 to help out whoever that quarterback is. So, it doesn’t seem like [they’ll draft Simpson].”
In his newest 2026 NFL mock draft this week, Kiper predicted the Steelers to select Penn State guard Olaivavega Ioane.
“I’m working off the assumption that Aaron Rodgers will be in black and yellow once more next season, but frankly, No. 21 is too early for Ty Simpson — or any other QB not named Mendoza — regardless of what the depth chart looks like on April 23. I think it’s more likely Pittsburgh takes a signal-caller on Day 2,” wrote Kiper.
In Kiper’s mock, Simpson landed with the Arizona Cardinals at No. 30 overall.
Kiper predicted the Cardinals to trade up with the Miami Dolphins to get another first-rounder to land Simpson.
ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. Says He Has Heard Steelers Won’t Draft Ty Simpson
GettyESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. said Thursday he heard it’s “a no” from the Pittsburgh Steelers drafting Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson.
Kiper offered two different reasons for why the Steelers likely won’t draft Simpson at No. 21 overall.
“[McCarthy] has to love this guy at 21, I believe,” Kiper said of the Steelers drafting Simpson. “I think like in the second, love in the first. That’s the way I would approach it.”
Kiper also suggested the Steelers could have PTSD from the Kenny Pickett era. The team grabbed Pickett at No. 20 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft and are selecting just one pick later this year.
“[Pickett] was a local product right around that same spot, 20, 21, whatever it was,” said Kiper. “I don’t know if they want to go back to that route.”
The Steelers shouldn’t let Pickett’s failures make them scared to draft another quarterback at No. 21 overall this year.
At the same time, though, Simpson has similar positives and negatives as the former Steelers quarterback. Mostly, questions about Simpson’s upside could scare the Steelers away from picking him in the first round.
Honestly, it would have been interesting if Kiper elaborated on what he heard regarding the Steelers not drafting Simpson. While Kiper offered a finite “no” on the Alabama quarterback to Pittsburgh, it’s not clear if that was just a no at No. 21 overall or if the Steelers don’t like Simpson as a prospect at all.
Why Simpson Remains a Possibility for the Steelers
GettyAlabama quarterback Ty Simpson could be a late first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Pundits continue to discuss the possibility of Simpson landing with the Steelers. That’s likely because the team has a need behind center without Rodgers officially on the roster.
This offseason, Pittsburgh has Mason Rudolph and Will Howard on its quarterback depth chart.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter proposed the possibility of the Steelers pivoting from Rodgers to Simpson while appearing on Unsportsmanlike on Tuesday.
During a different radio appearance Wednesday, though, Schefter didn’t list Simpson as a potential landing spot for Simpson.
Other Steelers insiders such as The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Gerry Dulac and Mark Kaboly have shared similar sentiments as Kiper did Thursday — the Steelers could target a quarterback but not Simpson in the first round.
Other analysts have argued why the Steelers should target Simpson, but they haven’t formed their arguments based on what they’re hearing from the team. As Kiper explained, it’s been quiet on the team’s front with the Alabama quarterback.
The Steelers hosted four quarterbacks for a pre-draft visit in Pittsburgh. Simpson was not one of them.
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