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Anthony Richardson Sr. #5 of the Indianapolis Colts

The Pittsburgh Steelers have massive decisions to make before the NFL Draft. They hold the No. 21 pick in the first round, but are still awaiting the decision of whether incumbent quarterback Aaron Rodgers will return for season number 22. The speculation and rumors surrounding when Rodgers will make his decision are too much to digest, but it’s fair to say he’s doing the Steelers dirty by not giving some context to his plans before such a big day.

Oh, and yeah, the 2026 NFL Draft is in Pittsburgh. But this is just Aaron Rodgers being Aaron Rodgers, and the whole NFL world knows that. However, in the meantime, the Steelers may want to consider making a meaningful trade to bolster their QB room, and former Indianapolis Colts first-round QB Anthony Richardson might be a solid trade option.

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Steelers-Colts Hypothetical Trade Details

GettyThe Indianapolis Colts could still trade quarterback Anthony Richardson this offseason.

In this trade idea proposed by Heavy Sports news desk, the Steelers land Anthony Richardson in exchange for a pick No. 99 (third-rounder) in the 2026 NFL Draft.

Enough is enough. Aaron Rodgers won’t commit to returning ahead of the NFL draft, and Pittsburgh is too consistently good to commit to Will Howard, a sixth-rounder in 2025, as its QB1 without any real competition. Not in Mike McCarthy’s first season as head coach. The Steelers have 12 draft picks this week, including three in the third round. Richardson wants out of Indy and the Colts are happy to let him go.

He is a former top-five pick with elite physical skills in need of a fresh start. Furthermore, Richardson will cost the Steelers just $5.4 million against the salary cap in 2026. If Rodgers, who will turn 43 years old in December, isn’t in-house by Day 2 of the draft on Friday, Pittsburgh should spend a compensatory pick and take a flier on a 23-year-old QB with upside in Richardson.

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What Will the Steelers Do on Thursday in NFL Draft

The Steelers are in such a sticky situation with their QB room.

Many mock NFL drafts have the Steelers drafting Ty Simpson out of Alabama, but is that with or without Aaron Rodgers being a part of the QB room?

Rodgers actually had a very quality season last year with the Steelers. He completed 65.7% of his passes for 3322 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.

However, with a new head coach in Mike McCarthy, does McCarthy want to try this new coaching journey with a new signal caller? If only Rodgers would make his decision sooner rather than later…

As for trading for Anthony Richardson, it’s not the ideal backup quarterback given his continuous struggles, but Richardson has been adamant about wanting out of the Colts organization, so the trade speculation is warranted. But the main storyline following the Steelers is the Aaron Rodgers situation, and that’s not going to change until Rodgers comes out himself with his decision, but it’s clear Pittsburgh is at a real crossroads with all the latest reports and rumors.

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