The Pittsburgh Steelers have been linked to a wild quarterback trade.
The Pittsburgh Steelers definitely need to figure out life after Aaron Rodgers, regardless of whether or not he decides to return for 2026.
Right now, the Steelers' primary option behind Rodgers is 2025 sixth-round pick Will Howard, and it seems highly unlikely that Pittsburgh genuinely views him as its quarterback of the future.
It also doesn't help that this year's draft class is not exactly rife with quarterback talent.
Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon has pitched a wild trade idea for the Steelers, suggesting that they send a pair of first-round draft choices to the Houston Texans in exchange for C.J. Stroud.
"If things go sideways with Aaron Rodgers' supposedly likely return, the Steelers could decide to go all-in on one of the game's most intriguing young players," Gagnon wrote. "Houston would need to have someone else lined up at quarterback as at least a bridge (Tua Tagovailoa? Malik Willis? Mac Jones?)."
A couple of years ago, Stroud was one of the NFL's brightest young stars after a historically good rookie campaign. Things have certainly changed since then.
Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud. Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images.Stroud has regressed each of the last two seasons, and most recently in 2025, he threw for 3,041 yards, 19 touchdowns and eight interceptions while completing 64.5 percent of his passes and posting a 92.9 passer rating in 14 games.
Yes, the former No. 2 overall pick has led the Texans to three straight playoff appearances, but he put forth an absolutely miserable performance in Houston's Divisional Round loss to the New England Patriots last month, completing 20 of his 47 passes with four picks.
It has even reached a point where some now consider Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young to be the superior young signal-caller, which seems unheard of based on how things started for both players in 2023.
There is no question that Pittsburgh badly needs to find an answer under center, but I'm not so sure that surrendering two first-rounders for Stroud is the move.
Of course, landing a franchise quarterback is no easy task, and Stroud is probably one of the better options the Steelers could imagine. But they might be better off taking a mid-round shot on someone like Drew Allar rather than breaking the bank for Stroud.
That's not to mention the fact that the Texans have given no indication that Stroud will even be available this offseason.
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