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CLEVELAND, OHIO – OCTOBER 01: Aaron Rodgers #8 of the Pittsburgh Steelers celebrates a touchdown against the Cleveland Browns during the first quarter of the game at Huntington Bank Field on October 01, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Steelers know they have a big decision to make after this season, as Aaron Rodgers has already said this will be his last season in the NFL.
Pittsburgh already has two young quarterbacks on its roster: Will Howard, in his second season, and rookie Drew Allar. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t draft a quarterback in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Gordon McGuinness is published by Pro Football Focus a mock draft on Tuesday and the Steelers selected Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss with pick No. 16.
“The Steelers cannot continue to rely on stopgaps at quarterback,” McGuinness wrote. “Maybe Drew Allar or Will Howard are the future at the position, but it’s hard to pass up a talent like Chambliss. He’s earned an 82.2 PFF passing grade so far this season and has done an impressive job of avoiding negative plays. He’s produced a turnover-worthy play rate of just 2.5%, while his 14.3% pressure rate is also impressive.”
Chambliss has been at Ole Miss for two seasons
Chambliss spent three seasons at Division II Ferris State before heading to Ole Miss last season. The 6-foot quarterback is the Rebels’ backup to start the 2025 season, sitting behind Austin Simmons. However, Simmons suffered an injury early in the season, allowing Chambliss to take over as the starter, and he never regained the job. In 15 games last season, Chambliss threw for 3,937 yards and 22 touchdowns while throwing three interceptions. He’s off to a good start this season, throwing for 1,435 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions.
As impressive as Chambliss has been since joining Ole Miss, questions remain about his game. The Rebels’ website lists him at 6-foot, 210 pounds, and he will be 25 at the start of the next NFL season, making him an older prospect.
Chambliss likely won’t be one of the first three quarterbacks taken due to his height and age, which is why the Steelers could be a good fit. It’s possible they could draft him in the middle of the first round.
The Steelers Should Still Draft a QB Next Year
Even though the Steelers have two young quarterbacks, Howard and Allar, that doesn’t mean head coach Mike McCarthy will want to start them. Howard was a sixth-round pick under head coach Mike Tomlin, while Allar was a third-round pick. Typically, quarterbacks who aren’t drafted in the first round don’t end up starting in the NFL. The Steelers need to secure their quarterback of the future, and it might make more sense to draft one in 2027.
The Steelers likely won’t be the only AFC North team targeting a quarterback in next year’s draft, and the Cleveland Browns will likely target one in the first round to replace Deshaun Watson.
Danny Fisher Is a football journalist covering the Buffalo Bills for Heavy.com. He covers the NFL for Gridiron Heroics, focusing on AFC and Penn State football for Nittany Central. More about Danny Fisher