Pittsburgh’s QB room is looking real thin right now. Basically a skeleton crew currently. Russell Wilson’s off to the New York Giants. Justin Fields dipped to the New York Jets, and what’s left? Mason Rudolph and Skylar Thompson. The pair alone isn’t going to cut it in the AFC North. 

Of course, Mike Tomlin has a plan up his sleeve. Bring in Aaron Rodgers for a year. But even if that miracle happens, the NFL veteran is turning 42 this December. So the Steelers need to think beyond 2025. That’s why they’ve been bringing in QBs left and right for pre-draft visits. Now, Adam Schefter broke the news that the 8,555-yard QB from Syracuse is heading to Pittsburgh. 

Kyle McCord is officially on Mike Tomlin’s radar. It started making waves on April 10 when the NFL insider tweeted—“Steelers will visit today in Pittsburgh with Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders. Next week the Steelers also will host a visit for Syracuse QB Kyle McCord.” Then the next day, on April 11, Stateoforange lit up Instagram with a photo of Kyle McCord in full Syracuse gear, stamped with—“KYLE MCCORD WILL VISIT THE STEELERS.” The follow-up slide showed a zoomed-in screenshot of Schefter’s post with the caption teasing—“Could Kyle McCord land in Pittsburgh? 👀” It provokes curiosity, doesn’t it?

It’s already official. Kyle McCord is heading to the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex next week as part of the 30 pre-draft visits. And there’s reason to be excited about this 22-year-old. He started his college football career at Ohio State in 2021 with 416 yards and 190 yards the following year. Then he lit it up in 2023 with 3,170 yards, 24 TDs, and an 11-0 start. But losing to the team up north put him in the thick of the pressure from the Buckeyes’ fanbase. So he hit the transfer portal and landed at Syracuse. Most thought he’d fade. Instead? He blew up!

At Syracuse, Kyle McCord was a record-breaker. With his 4,779 yards and 34 TDs, he broke the ACC single-season passing record as a starter. He threw for 300+ yards in 11 of 12 games. He also shattered Ryan Nassib’s old record with his 482 yard play against Northwestern and became the Orange’s first 4,000-yard passer after a 380-yard showdown against Miami. No, he’s not a projected top-10 prospect. But a third round to the Steelers? Learning under Rodgers? Sounds like a solid plan. Still, Mike Tomlin’s not leaving anything to chance. 

Mike Tomlin impresses Shedeur Sanders during his Pittsburgh visit 

Former Colorado star Shedeur Sanders was the first to step into the spotlight with Mike Tomlin’s crew. He wrapped up his visit with the Steelers on April 10 and immediately hopped on an interview with Kay Adams straight from Pittsburgh International Airport. And it looks like everything went well, as his response was—“I enjoyed my time here in Pittsburgh. I think I connected well with all the coaches and it was fun.” But here’s the real juice.

Shedeur Sanders has a big reason to like Mike Tomlin. “I understand the mindset of why they win a lot,” he revealed. “Just how he is as a person. The values that the team has. And what he preaches from his staff down, it’s similar to my dad.” And he gave the meeting the best grade there can be—a 10. But it’s too early to say anything. Besides Shedeur and Kyle, Pittsburgh has also hosted Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ole Miss’ Jaxson Dart, and Louisville’s Tyler Shough. 

So you see, Mike Tomlin’s not just browsing; he’s shopping. And with Kyle McCord flying into Pittsburgh next week, the Steelers’ future QB might already be on the way. We never know.