Steelers Have An Exciting New QB to Monitor
PITTSBURGH -- The Pittsburgh Steelers are a franchise to watch when it comes to the quarterback carousel. Things are calm in the 412 currently, as the Steelers have Aaron Rodgers occupying the starting role while Mason Rudolph, Drew Allar and Will Howard battle for snaps behind him.
After the 2026 season, the Steelers have no clue what will happen. Maybe Rodgers returns in 2027 after all. Maybe Allar or Howard are the future starter the fanbase longs for. No one is certain about what awaits this team after the coming campaign.
Or maybe, the answer for Pittsburgh is playing for another team in the NFL right now. That player might even be Houston Texans starter C.J. Stroud. As he and the Texans stand at a contractual impasse, it only increases the chances of Stroud landing in Pittsburgh for the 2027 season.
Would Steelers Pursue Stroud?
The Texans and Stroud are reportedly far off on an extension as the 2026 regular season looms. In a recent update for ESPN, DJ Bien-Aime shared the latest.
"Stroud and the Texans aren't close to a deal as of late June. Houston and its quarterback are in a tricky spot because last season did not end the way either would've preferred," he wrote. "Stroud threw four interceptions against the Patriots the AFC divisional round. A performance like that can cause hesitation when the extension for Stroud could be in the $55 million to $60 million range per year. With how negotiations are currently going, it's gearing up to be a prove-it season for Stroud."
The Steelers have to be considered players for any available quarterbacks next offseason. The way things are going right now, the Texans won't have Stroud on their team and he will be hitting the open market.
That means the Steelers have to be in the conversation for Stroud's services in 2027. Recently, there has been speculation about another potential 2027 free agent, Baker Mayfield, signing in Pittsburgh as yet another stopgap option.
Maybe the Steelers and head coach Mike McCarthy see the 24-year-old Stroud as the perfect project to take on. All they have to do is wait until free agency and then make a run at him.
Why Steelers and Stroud Make Sense
If people think McCarthy can take Allar or Howard to the next level, why would that same thought not be applied to Stroud? The former first-round pick has played in 46 games over three seasons with the Texans, leading the squad to a 28-18-0 record.
He's also played in six postseason contests, but that's where the trouble has come. He's thrown six touchdowns and six interceptions in those games, including an absolutely terrible performance against the Steelers in last year's Wild Card Weekend matchup.
But McCarthy is a quarterback guru with Super Bowl experience. He can work with Stroud to overcome those challenges and early career struggles and get him to the next level.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/steelers/onsi as Steelers Have An Exciting New QB to Monitor.
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This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 1:00 PM.