The Pittsburgh Steelers left fans utterly disappointed as the team failed to pull off a single move at the NFL trade deadline. And one ESPN reporter explained why the team was so hesitant to part with any draft capital at the trade deadline.
According to ESPN's Brooke Pryor, the Steelers have been unwilling to trade any of their future draft picks in exchange for players due to the uncertainty surrounding the quarterback position once Aaron Rodgers retires following the 2026 season.
"The Steelers are one of two AFC teams with 6+ wins that didn't make a move at the trade deadline, the other being the Bengals (who tried, then backed off)," Pryor wrote via X. "[Pittsburgh] has maintained that it doesn't want to give up significant draft capital until
it has a clear future QB plan."
With Rodgers set to retire after this season, the Steelers will lean on veteran quarterback Mason Rudolph, 2025 sixth-round quarterback Will Howard, and 2026 third-round quarterback Drew Allar to handle the quarterback position through at least the 2027 season. This doesn't exactly instill confidence for the Steelers, and it's evident, as Pryor pointed out, that the team is more focused on addressing this concern.
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: ESPN insider reveals why Steelers didn't make a trade at 2026 deadline
