Trade for Matthew Stafford? Move up in draft? Steelers should explore all QB options

Ben Arthur

NFL Reporter

INDIANAPOLIS — Steelers general manager Omar Khan took multiple questions about his team’s quarterback conundrum. Whether it was in regard to retaining Russell Wilson or Justin Fields, adding a veteran or drafting a passer of the future, the GM’s responses were largely consistent: We don’t have a quarterback under contract, so until that happens, all options are on the table.

“We’re just looking for the guy, the player that’s gonna help us win our ultimate goal, which is a championship,” Khan said Tuesday at the NFL Scouting Combine.

So, why not go aggressive at quarterback?

Aggressive like trading for an established, Super Bowl-winning quarterback like Matthew Stafford, whose agent has been given permission by the Los Angeles Rams to gauge his market value. Aggressive like attempting to trade up in the first round to get in the conversation for Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders or Miami‘s Cam Ward. Maybe it’s taking a quarterback at No. 21 overall or high on Day 2 — think Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss), Jalen Milroe (Alabama), Will Howard (Ohio State) — to pair with Wilson or Fields.

Khan mentioned that “ideally,” the Steelers would like to keep Wilson or Fields. Early in the offseason, team president and owner Art Rooney II said that’s the preference. But Pittsburgh can’t play it safe at the position. A large part of the rut it’s been in as a franchise — consistently above average but not elite — has been because of a mediocre offense.

Winless in the postseason since 2016, the Steelers lost five straight games to end 2024, a span in which they never scored more than 17 points. They haven’t had an offense rank above 16th in scoring since 2020, Ben Roethlisberger’s penultimate NFL season. A major swing at quarterback could be just what the franchise needs.

Should the Steelers pursue a trade for Matthew Stafford?

It’s not like Pittsburgh doesn’t have the resources to do it.

The Steelers are ninth in the NFL in effective salary cap space at $56.9 million, according to Overthecap.com, so they have the financial flexibility to pursue a veteran passer without significant cap gymnastics.

Trading up from No. 21 into the conversation for Sanders or Ward could be more difficult and costly, but making that big a leap in the first round is not unprecedented. In 2016, the Rams traded up from No. 15 to No. 1 to draft Jared Goff, also including another first-round pick, two second-round selections and two third-round selections in the package.

If Sanders or Ward get out of the top-3, that could be a situation where Pittsburgh looks to trade up. It has a pick in the top three rounds this year and hasn’t traded any of its picks in 2026 or beyond.

Last season, Fields started the Steelers’ first six games while Wilson recovered from a calf injury, and protected the ball well operating coordinator Arthur Smith’s offense. Fields had 10 total touchdowns against just two turnovers in 10 appearances, including six starts. But Pittsburgh was never truly dynamic offensively. Like in Chicago, Fields didn’t have the ability to consistently threaten opposing teams in the deep passing game — something that Wilson brought to the table when he entered the lineup, helping spur a 6-1 run from Weeks 7-14. But Wilson and the offense combusted down the stretch. That, plus his age (36) and declining play over the past couple of years, makes his play hard to project moving forward.

Sure, signing Wilson back could bring security for the Steelers. Same with Fields.

“There were good things from both of them,” Khan said. “Glad to have had both of them with us. It was a good experience. Both of them are really great people.

“But the reality of it is we ended the season with five straight losses,” he continued. “That’s not good enough. That’s not acceptable.”

That’s why it feels like Pittsburgh needs to make a major move at quarterback.

Ben Arthur is an NFL reporter for FOX Sports. He previously worked for The Tennessean/USA TODAY Network, where he was the Titans beat writer for a year and a half. He covered the Seattle Seahawks for SeattlePI.com for three seasons (2018-20) prior to moving to Tennessee. You can follow Ben on Twitter at @benyarthur.

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