Steelers Not Showing Strong Interest in Quarterback Draft Class

INDIANAPOLIS — The Pittsburgh Steelers have been heavily involved in scouting a few position groups for the 2024 NFL Draft at the combine in Indianapolis this week, but if they have a strong interest in the quarterback class, they’re keeping those cards close to the vest.

The Steelers did not have a reported formal interview with a quarterback this week, and just one quarterback speaking on Friday said that he had an informal meeting with the team — Oregon’s Bo Nix. Florida State’s Jordan Travis also said he has met with most of the league in some fashion.

The Steelers did have other opportunities to scout most of the available quarterbacks. Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix, Tulane’s Spencer Rattler, Tennessee’s Joe Milton, South Carolina’s Spencer Rattler and Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman were at the Senior Bowl in Mobile. Travis, Kentucky’s Devin Leary, Maryland’s Taulia Tagovailoa and BYU’s Kedon Slovis were at the Shrine Bowl.

But the Steelers have double-dipped in their investigations into many players at other positions in this class. They also passed on more extensive interviews with LSU’s Jayden Daniels and Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy, the projected No. 3 and No. 4 quarterbacks in the class.

Steelers general manager Omar Khan said he’s not closing any avenues of acquiring more quarterbacks to compete with Kenny Pickett in 2024, but if the Steelers are going to draft a quarterback this April, it seems likely that it will come on Day Three, where teams are less likely to use a formal interview in the first place. 

With the Steelers reportedly one of three teams in conversation with the Chicago Bears about a trade for quarterback Justin Fields, it seems much more likely at this point that the Steelers will make a move for an experienced quarterback to push Pickett, and not a highly touted young rookie.