NFL analyst links the Steelers to a quarterback option that comes with a cost too steep for general manager Omar Khan to consider
The juice isn’t worth the squeeze here when it comes to who the Steelers would have to give up.
Until Aaron Rodgers returns or the Pittsburgh Steelers come out and say their plan for the starting quarterback position in 2026, we are going to continue to hear, see, and read about external options for the team in 2026.
Everything from players who are currently retired, to quarterbacks who have started two career games has been floated as potential options for the team. Well, the latest one makes sense on paper, but not when you see what the Steelers would have to give up to get him.
Analyst proposes that the Steelers trade Nick Herbig for 49ers quarterback Mac Jones
If one backup quarterback trade proposal for Nick Herbig wasn’t enough, well, here’s another, folks. Now, unlike Tanner McKee, Mac Jones has actual starting experience and he is probably better than the two quarterbacks under contract for 2026 via Will Howard and Mason Rudolph. But is he so much better that the Steelers should give up the future of their defense? Not even close.
“The 49ers had one of the worst pass rushes in the league last season. The Steelers could need a quarterback if Aaron Rodgers decides not to return for the 2026 season. Let’s make a deal. Jones is worth more to another team than he is to the Niners at this point. His 5-3 run as the starter during Brock Purdy’s absence showed that he could be the next reclamation project that becomes a legitimate NFL starter.”
“Meanwhile”, Nick Herbig had a breakout campaign himself for the Steelers. He led the league in pass rush win rate and tallied 7.5 sacks. Pittsburgh is going to have a tough decision to make with a ton of money already invested in T.J. Watt and Alex Highsmith. If the Steelers can use Herbig to find a potentially long-term answer at quarterback that would be a good use of his breakout season. If the Niners can turn their backup quarterback into the player that leads the charge for their next generation of pass rush, that’s a win.” – Alex Ballentine, Bleacher Report
Why trading Nick Herbig doesn’t make sense for the Steelers
Forget the fact that Nick Herbig is worth more than any backup quarterback in the league, from a pure value perspective, trading away an ascending pass rusher who still has a year left on his deal before we even consider franchise tags, makes absolutely no sense. If the Steelers were going to trade an EDGE, it would be Alex Highsmith, who led the team in sacks, or T.J. Watt, who’s well T.J. Watt.
The latter of those two options also feels unlikely, meaning the Highsmith is most likely to be the odd man out, if anyone is leaving. Which we do not incline to believe is the case as of yet. The bottom line is that the Steelers need a starting quarterback, but he shouldn’t come at the cost of one of their best players.
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