The 2027 quarterback class was supposed to be great. Coming into this season, it looked like one of the top ones we've seen recently, with big names like Arch Manning and Dante Moore headlining it. But it's now mid-October and after watching these quarterbacks, they're looking more and more mid — and that has to worry NFL teams that expected drafting a quarterback in April to be an easy way forward.

One team that now finds itself in a really weird spot? The Pittsburgh Steelers, who are going to need an Aaron Rodgers replacement next season, as he's indicated that 2026 is his final season. But, uh, maybe the team needs to sit him down and beg him to come back?

Pittsburgh's 2027 quarterback options look rough

Assuming Rodgers does opt to retire after this season (as is widely expected, considering Rodgers has said this is his final season), the Steelers have options at quarterback, but not great ones.

Internally, there are two young quarterbacks on the roster who the Steelers could turn to: Will Howard and Drew Allar. Howard was a sixth-round pick in 2025; Allar was a third-round pick this year. Both have upside, though Allar's preseason performance looked stronger, and it's easy to see him winning a quarterback battle with Howard. Allar might end up being a good NFL player, but he's also a third-round pick who is currently fourth on the depth chart as a rookie. The chances he succeeds seem low.

In theory, this strong NFL Draft class at quarterback meant Pittsburgh, which entered Week 6 set to pick No. 18 overall, could either wait for someone to fall to them or trade up. But that might not be so easy now.

Arch Manning was the presumed No. 1 overall pick entering the season, but he's played so poorly that he's probably not even a first-round option now, and it would honestly be surprising to see him even declare for the draft without a massive turnaround in the second half of the season. Dante Moore, meanwhile, has seen his draft stock plummet as well.  Add in that two bad teams that looked like they wouldn't need a quarterback — Tennessee and Miami — now look like they might end up just needing to draft Drew Mestemaker, Darian Mensah or CJ Carr, and the pickings are slim for the Steelers. You can try to trade up for one of those guys, but that's only going to happen if the Cardinals or Jets aren't in position to just take one before Pittsburgh can.

Assuming all three are gone, the team could wait for Moore to maybe fall or could pick Trinidad Chambliss earlier than he should go, but none of these are particularly exciting. In a perfect world, Pittsburgh would have had a shot at Mestemaker or Mensah, but it currently doesn't appear that we're in that world.

Why Aaron Rodgers coming back could be the answer

Do I think that Rodgers will delay his retirement for a year to be Pittsburgh's starting quarterback in 2027? No. I don't think it's an impossible thought, but it's almost an impossible thought.

With that said, if there's even the tiniest chance it happens, it might be the best thing for the team. Mike McCarthy isn't a rebuilding coach, and the Steelers have a really solid roster.  Rodgers might not be the player he once was, but he's been fine enough this season. His completion rate is down this year, but he has his highest touchdown rate since 2021, when he last won MVP, and he's also at his highest yards per game since that season as well.

This is not to say Rodgers is "good" still. But if the Steelers intend to win in 2027, a draft class that keeps getting worse and a really disappointing free agency class make that tough. I guess they could go after Mac Jones, but just convincing Rodgers to wait another year would probably produce stronger results. It's just something that would be very, very tough to actually do.