The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready to fight for a playoff spot against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday. The 42-year-old Aaron Rodgers has done well in leading the team for so long. While tension is running high, former Steelers DT James Harrison suggested that Pittsburgh should tank their season in the hopes of finding its next franchise quarterback.

“I believe with the current defense we have, or should I say defensive ranking we have, without a veteran quarterback, we will be in the bottom,” said James Harrison on the Deebo & Joe podcast, via YouTube. “Maybe that’s what we need. Cuz, that’s just going to have us a chance of getting a franchise quarterback at least in the draft next year. But, I also don’t know if there’s one available that would be worth getting or trying to get, or move up to get in the upcoming draft of next year.”

Although Rodgers is at the end of a glorious NFL career, he is still helping the franchise both offensively and defensively.

Being a veteran, Rodgers is careful with his throws, and if the situation is tight, he throws it outside to avoid getting sacked. It has happened in almost every game this season, with the Browns game being the recent one, where he was sacked twice. It is possibly one of the reasons why Myles Garrett could not get his sack record against the Steelers in Week 17.

James Harrison believes this to be the reason why the Steelers are not at the bottom of the defensive ranking. The star QB’s quick thinking has gotten them out of that position. While Harrison didn’t outright suggest tanking the season, he implied it by saying that they need to be worse to be able to pick better.

Earlier in the summer, there was chatter about the Steelers signing either Aaron Rodgers or Kirk Cousins. Eventually, Pittsburgh chose to go with the veteran, and he has impressed. Rodgers has a 65.6% pass completion rate for 3,028 yards and scored 23 touchdowns this season. He has also thrown seven interceptions, which is one of the lowest in the league with a 1.6% interception percentage.

Interestingly, according to Bleacher Report, when a defense allows 0-10 points, the QB will win 93.55% of the games; when they allow 11-15 points, the winning percent decreases to 76.1. Similarly, if the defense allows 16-20 points, the QB will win 52.6% of the games.

Surprisingly, in the Steelers’ case, it is the QB who is helping them to get better and contribute to the team’s victory. But the question is for how long. With rumors of his retirement already circulating on the internet, Harrison’s suggestion doesn’t seem like a bad one, considering their need for a reliable long-term quarterback. Unfortunately, there is one problem. The upcoming draft doesn’t offer any “franchise” quarterbacks for the Steelers.

The 2026 NFL Draft does not offer the Steelers many quarterback choices

Tanking the season may not provide the Steelers with the answers they are looking for. It will certainly expose their defensive ranking, but finding the successor to Rodgers would be challenging regardless. The 2026 NFL Draft has only two headlining quarterbacks coming to the first round picks. The first is Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza, and the second is Oregon’s Dante Moore.

Mendoza has completed 72.3% of his passes for 3,172 passing yards and 36 touchdowns and boasts a quarterback rating of 89.5, while Dante Moore has a 72.9% pass completion rate for around 3,000 passing yards and 28 touchdowns, with a quarterback rating of 79.

Unfortunately, as things stand, the Steelers won’t be getting a chance to pick either of them. If they win on Sunday, they will qualify for the playoffs. Even if they lose, they will be lower than various franchises in terms of draft picks.

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The Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Giants are two of the franchises that are expected to go for quarterbacks, especially Fernando Mendoza.

It remains unknown whether Rodgers will continue for one more year or not. If he does, A new quarterback coming in, such as possibly Malik Willis from the Packers, could learn from the best while being QB2, and if not, he can lead the franchise.

For now, the Steelers are gearing up for Week 18. A win will ensure their winning the AFC North and getting that 4th seed in the AFC playoffs. With D.K. Metcalf suspended and Darnell Washington missing, though, things are expected to be tough. Meanwhile, the Ravens have announced that Lamar Jackson will be back in Week 18, making it even more challenging for the Steelers.