Steelers Start Serious Legwork for 2026 NFL Draft
Though it’s still a year away, the Pittsburgh Steelers are getting set to host the NFL Draft in 2026. They have been since last year, in fact.
Steelers president Art Rooney II gave a glimpse into the preparation that goes into holding such an event in an exclusive interview with Rob King posted on Steelers.com on Monday night.
“We had a group that went to the draft in Detroit last year, part of our staff and part of VisitPITTSBURGH staff and others from the community,” Rooney said. “We’ll have another group that will go up to Green Bay this spring and kind of see what they do and how they do it and learn what we can.
“You know, there’s a lot of work to be done and April of 2026 will be here before you know it and so we have a lot of people working hard to make sure that we’re ready, and I think we will be.”
Since moving out of New York City’s Radio City Music Hall, its longtime venue, the NFL Draft has been held in Chicago (2015-16), Philadelphia (2017), Dallas (2018), Nashville (2019), Cleveland (2021), Las Vegas (2022), Kansas City (2023), and Detroit (2024). Green Bay and the Packers will hold the event in April.
Pittsburgh was announced as the host site for the 2026 NFL Draft last May.
“Today, Pittsburgh has established itself as one of the most dynamic cities in the country — and as the birthplace of professional football, it is the best choice to host the draft,” Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro said. “With all eyes on Pennsylvania during the nation’s 250th birthday, the Commonwealth is excited and ready to work together to host this historic draft and show the country what Pennsylvania is all about.”