A series of mistakes behind center has helped land the Pittsburgh Steelers in a precious position entering December of the 2025 NFL season. To get back to a championship level, the Steelers will likely have to seek major change at the league’s most important position.
But The Ringer’s Diante Lee doesn’t see that change happening. On Thursday, Lee predicted the Steelers to pursue mediocre and cheap, high upside options for behind center in 2026.
Lee referred to his projected plan for the Steelers as “uninspiring.”
“Pittsburgh desperately needs a new long-term option at quarterback, but we have no reason to trust that this franchise knows how to get one (or develop one, for that matter). Pittsburgh hasn’t had a season in which its passing offense has performed above the 50th percentile in EPA or success rate since 2018,” wrote Lee.
“As long as head coach Mike Tomlin is running the show, I don’t expect anything to change. His philosophy is so deeply rooted in avoiding risks and turning games into a war of attrition that I’m not sure I’d even want a young passer to play for him….
“If I had to guess, I’d imagine that Pittsburgh will do the most predictable thing possible. That means signing a guy like Tyrod Taylor to be the starter, then trading for a quarterback like Anthony Richardson as a half-hearted attempt to bring in a player with a high ceiling.”
The Indianapolis Colts drafted Anthony Richardson at No. 4 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. But in two appearances this season, he has thrown just two passes.
Despite a career 8-7 record as a starter, Richardson lost his starting job to Daniel Jones during the preseason.
Could the Steelers Trade for QB Anthony Richardson?
Lee isn’t the first pundit to link the Steelers to the Colts’ former No. 4 pick. Over the past year, ESPN’s Bill Barnwell and other NFL analysts have discussed the potential Richardson could land in Pittsburgh
Obviously, nothing has come to fruition. But Richardson has one year remaining on his contract and a 2027 club option. Unless the Colts elect not to re-sign Jones, Richardson is a prime trade candidate for this offseason.
Richardson has featured a lot of upside but poor consistency in his NFL career. In 2024, he posted a 6-5 record with 1,814 passing yards and eight touchdowns. Richardson also had 499 rushing yards and six scores.
However, he had 12 interceptions and nine fumbles as well. Richardson also completed just 47.7% of his passes.
Finally, health has been a concern with Richardson. In his first two seasons, he missed 19 games.
After two years of aging veterans behind center, though, the Steelers could prefer an inconsistent 24-year-old that still has the potential to be a star. Richardson doesn’t turn 24 until May.
If they acquired the Colts quarterback in the spring, the Steelers would have one season to determine whether Richardson deserves a starter contract.
Will Mike Tomlin Remain Steelers Head Coach?
Lee made his prediction that the Steelers will acquire someone “like” Richardson (and Tyrod Taylor) under the assumption Tomlin will remain the team’s head coach. That’s not what a lot of Steelers fans who were at Sunday’s game would prefer.
During the Buffalo Bills blowout win against the Steelers, fans at Acrisure Stadium chanted “fire Tomlin.”
However, it’s a safe assumption Tomlin will be back in 2026. Both ESPN’s Adam Schefter and NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport have reported the Steelers aren’t considering a head coaching change.
“If Pittsburgh wins, the noise gets quieter,” Schefter said Thursday on his podcast, via Steelers Depot’s Troy Montgomery. “I know there’s been a lot of noise, but the noise seems to be coming from outside more than it does inside.”
SI on Steelers’ Noah Strackbein also reported this week Tomlin’s “job is not in jeopardy.”
Given those reports, it’s a safe assumption Tomlin will be deciding who plays quarterback for the Steelers in 2026. Based on how this season is going, it probably won’t be Aaron Rodgers again.
But there are still five weeks remaining in the season. The Steelers didn’t win after Week 14 last year. If something similar happens again, the chatter around Tomlin’s job security will only grow.
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