Steelers Reportedly 'Won't Reach' On Alarming 2026 Quarterback Class
The Aaron Rodgers experiment has worked well for the Pittsburgh Steelers so far in 2025, but there is still no long-term option at quarterback currently on the team. Even if the 41-year-old comes back for another season in 2026, the same questions will be around about who can be the next franchise quarterback of this team. Team scouts have and will be doing a lot of work on that position in particular when deciding which college football games they should attend. Something has to be done so Pittsburgh can get out of this purgatory.
Getting out of quarterback mediocracy is a lot easier said than done. In his weekly Q&A chat, insider Ray Fittipaldo was asked about the possibility of the Steelers just rolling with Rodgers and Will Howard at quarterback and drafting other positions of need instead. From what he said, it's definitely possible that they look for a new passer in 2027.
"I think they'll do their due diligence and have these QBs rated on their board like all the other prospects," Fittipaldo said. "They won't reach for a QB. I keep telling people the 2027 draft is promising for QBs as well. So believe me, they won't be pressed into picking a QB just because they need one to develop."
The 2026 quarterback class was expected to be one of the best ones in a very long time. Instead, nearly every single prospect has flopped early on in the season. It seems like no passer currently playing in college is ready to make the leap to the NFL and be the savior that many teams like Pittsburgh hope they can be. There's still time, but not that much.
Of course, there is no guarantee that 2027's class will be any better for the Steelers. The question then comes around to "How long can Pittsburgh pass on quarterbacks in the first round?"
This is what quarterback purgatory truly is. Your current options are bridge options at best. The draft seems to lack NFL abilities. The open market rarely has any high-end passers available. There's just a glaring hole at the most important position in football, and there seems to be no answers for that position...for now, at least.
Steelers Should Take Notes From NFC Team
The opposite of quarterback purgatory is known as just playing for the Green Bay Packers. They have no issues with drafting and developing players. Like the Steelers, they almost always have their selection in the 20s in the first round, so it's not like they are just bad enough to luck into generational talents. They have a system that has obviously worked for them, including with Rodgers.
They are super patient with their young passers. Instead of throwing them into the fire, the Packers will just let their first-round picks ride the bench for a few years until they have mastered everything in practice and had some in-game reps here and there. That's why Rodgers was so elite, and it's also why Jordan Love has been a massive success for Green Bay so far.
If the Steelers do go that route, the best course of action to take would be to draft Nico Iamaleava of the UCLA Bruins. Yes, his first year in Los Angeles has been a train wreck, but he showed a very high ceiling with the Tennessee Volunteers, and he is only 21 years old. If they expect him to be ready by Day 1, it will be a massive reach. However, if they're patient with him and give him the keys to the offense at around age 24, Pittsburgh could finally be free.
KaVontae Turpin’s Foot Injury Leaves Cowboys Searching for Offensive Spark in Week 6
The Cowboys and coach Brian Schottenheimer deserve some credit here in 2025 for finally doing something that the team’s fans–and even the front office–have been calling for over the last few years. He’s figured out ways for dynamic kick returner KaVontae Turpin to contribute to the offense as a gadget weapon.
He played 62 offensive snaps as a rookie, 140 in Year 2 and 315 last season, but is on pace to shatter that mark this year, already on the field for 133 snaps–despite missing Week 5 with a foot injury. Turpin has given the Cowboys 11 catches (on 13 targets) for 159 yards as well as 23 yards on six carries out of the backfield.
Alas, the pesky foot injury meant he did not play against the Jets. And it is going to keep him out again in Week 6 against the Panthers–at least, according to Turpin.
KaVontae Turpin Says He’s Still ‘Day to Day’
On the Cowboys team website, it was noted that it will be “at least another week” before Turpin returns.
The site added: “The All-Pro returner and dynamic wide receiver missed the Week 5 contest against the Panthers with a foot injury, and he’s not yet up to full speed as of Wednesday, labeling himself as ‘day to day’ and stating the likelihood is he’ll miss this weekend’s matchup with an eye on returning against the Commanders in Week 6.”
And Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News wrote on Twitter/X: “Asked #Cowboys WR/KR KaVontae Turpin if a return on Sunday was a possibility. He was honest. He said probably not, but he’s targeting a return for the home game next Sunday against the Washington Commanders. Turpin suffered a foot sprain against GB.”
Turpin has a PFF grade of 75.6, which is 19th out of 125 receivers in the NFL this season.
Cowboys Have 10 Players Limited by Injury in Practice
While the Cowboys have been optimistic about getting players back from their long list of walking wounded heading into Week 6, not everyone figures to be healthy. There were 10 players, including six starters, who were not a full go in practice on Wednesday.
There was, for sure, a positive sign for Turpin: he was no longer in a walking boot for the foot on Wednesday.
“There’s guys moving around better,” Schottenheimer told reporters. “I think as the week goes, there’s a few guys that you might be able to get back. But it’s hit and miss and today is a day you’re probably see more guys on the grass and being on the grass doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re cleared to play.”
