Steelers draft prediction adds quarterback with 12% chance to be No. 1 pick
Rodgers said on "The Pat McAfee Show" that he's "pretty sure" he'll retire after the 2025 campaign, which is not surprising considering he'll be 42 in December.
If Rodgers leaves, the Steelers will be left with in-house options in Mason Rudolph and Will Howard before making any moves.
The problem is that Howard is a late-round pick and may not prove to be the long-term solution Pittsburgh needs and Rudolph is a good backup but not someone the Steelers should be relying on for more.
The Steelers have three options if they aren't happy with Rudolph and Howard.
They can trade, sign and/or draft a quarterback in 2026. Pittsburgh fans will almost certainly clamor for the third option given how recent quick-fix solutions haven't worked out and the team hasn't had a true franchise quarterback since Big Ben.
If the Steelers do draft a quarterback in 2026, Steelers Wire's Curt Popejoy predicts it will be Indiana signal-caller Fernando Mendoza, who he considers the "hottest name at quarterback in college football."
"Right now, Mendoza is the hottest name at quarterback in college football. If he can live up to the hype, his first-round grade will be earned," Popejoy wrote.
Mendoza exploded onto the scene in 2024 at Cal, with the young quarterback tallying 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns to six picks.
You can check out more information on Mendoza by reading this film breakdown from Ian Cummings of Pro Football & Sports Network.
He has since transferred to Indiana, where experts believe he could take that next step toward cementing himself as a top quarterback prospect.
In fact, ESPN's Jordan Reid thinks highly enough of Mendoza to give him a 12% chance to be the first pick in the 2026 draft.
Why he could be the top pick: Mendoza transferred from Cal to Indiana, where he enters a quarterback-friendly offense. Kurtis Rourke transitioned from the MAC to Curt Cignetti's offense and was drafted in the seventh round of this past draft. The ceiling for the 6-foot-5, 225-pound Mendoza is even higher.
There's still a long way to go between now and next year's draft before anyone can be crowned the top quarterback prospect, but Mendoza is definitely in the running to at least be a first-round pick.
The Steelers should teeter around .500, at worst, this year, so it's fair to project them to come away with a mid first-round pick.
That puts them in the ballpark of being able to nab Mendoza, or another quality quarterback prospect on Day 1.
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